'The lack of engagement with communities is the big problem'

People should direct their anger about the housing crisis and the handling of the refugee process at those responsible and not “at the feet of people who had no hand, act or part in it”.

That’s according to Deputy Sorca Clarke, who said that “the manner in which Roderic O’Gorman’s department and the manner in which the government have been going around and undertaking this work in recent months is not acceptable”.

“It shows a clear lack of understanding and a lack of appreciation, as well as real disrespect for the community groups in the barracks who have been doing phenomenal work with some of the most disadvantaged younger people and people with additional needs for so long.

“Given that this is also on the back of a regeneration programme, a piece of work put together by Helen Donnelly, Jack O’Sullivan and the rest of the Columb Barrack Restoration and Regeneration Committee, at least, there should have been consultation about how that would work; what it would look like for the community groups as well as those who are going to be seeking asylum and will be housed in the barracks.

“The lack of engagement with communities is the big problem. There has been a tremendous amount of work put in across Westmeath, not just Mullingar, in working with people seeking international protection in terms of integration. Any of that willingness to work with these people is being undermined by the government’s inability to communicate. That’s not new. We have seen them fail time and time again. Also bear in mind, this time last year the government were saying we could expect up to 200,000 people to come to our shores. That number is about less than half of that and they can’t manage.

“This so called plan they have is not any way in line with the scale of the crisis and our communities are left to pick up the pieces, and that is wrong.”

Deputy Clarke said that when it comes to refugee and asylum seeker process and the protests taking place in Mullingar and around the country, “essentially we have three issues playing out in parallel”.

“One of them is the direct provision system, which has been widely condemned. We have the war in Ukraine, and the housing crisis created by successive governments. That real pain in communities that have no access to housing is something that hasn’t happened overnight and hasn’t happened because of refugees. There is an enormous amount of anger in communities because of those decades of neglect by governments, whether in housing or health.

“Should communities be angry? Yes. Should they be protesting? Yes. But they should be protesting against the people who caused this, the people who are responsible, who are in a position of power to change the policies that led to this.

“That’s not going to happen overnight, but you can’t lay the responsibility at the feet of people who had no hand, act or part in it.”

“Another thing worth highlighting is that the community groups in the barracks have been banging on every single door that has been available to them in terms of getting leases and regularising their own positions.

“Nobody was willing to work with them on this. When someone sat down in the Department of Defence or Department of Integration, on paper the barracks looks empty, but in reality it is different. There is a thriving community there. Nobody was willing to work with these people and groups to put a formalised plan in place,” she said.