Migration and consultation on election agenda in Clonmel

A five-hectare piece of land on the edge of Clonmel has been causing controversy and tension in recent weeks as opinions differ on its future and its potential.

As part of an ongoing series of reports on key local election issues around the country, RTÉ’s South East Correspondent Conor Kane reports from Co Tipperary on the issues around migration and consultation that are affecting people.

The site is located on Heywood Road, close to the town’s ring road, on a hill within sight of the town centre and is part of a larger land bank owned for many years by the HSE.

As part of the Government’s efforts to secure accommodation for the many Ukrainians coming into this country for over two years since the Russian invasion, almost five hectares of that HSE property has been earmarked for the location of 82 modular homes, to house Ukrainian families.

If the plan were to run smoothly, those pre-fabricated homes could arrive on site by the end of the year and be ready for occupation early in 2025.

But not if people opposing the plan have anything to do with it.

Since word spread of the modular homes proposal, protests have taken place at the site and a temporary encampment has been established with a round-the-clock presence.

Two people occupying the “camp” when RTÉ News visited declined to comment on the protest or the site plans, as did the Clonmel Concerned Citizens Group who have been involved in opposing the site plans.

Not too far away, members of the long-established Clonmel Rugby Club, who have called Heywood Road their home for years, have been left in the dark, they say, by recent developments.

Outgoing chairman of the club, JJ Killian, said they had, for years, been trying to buy a separate, nearby, site from the HSE to allow for their own expansion, but had never received a response, and they were concerned about what he described as a lack of consultation over the current proposal.

“We’ve been here for over 50 years, we’re a senior club playing against clubs all over this island, north and south, so we would see ourselves as very positive ambassadors for Clonmel and this general area,” Mr Killian said.

“So in this unfolding situation we would see ourselves as fairly significant stakeholders in what’s going on.

“We’re very, very disappointed in that we’ve had no contact from any of the bodies involved.

“We haven’t heard from the board of works, from the HSE, the county council. We’ve heard from nobody, which is very, very disappointing.

“I think it shows a lack of respect. I think we have earned our respect in this area, as a club, and I think we deserve better.”

The club has no issues with people coming into Clonmel, he said, but rather with the way this particular idea is being pursued.

“We’re in the dark right now, because this could impact on our future development, and that’s a serious concern for us,” Mr Killian said.

“One of the core values of our club is that of inclusivity, so we would welcome everybody. We’re not in the business of exclusion, we’re in the business of inclusion.

“The more people that are around here, the better. So as far as we’re concerned, they’re welcome.”

If they are prevented from expanding they might have to move, lock, stock and barrel, to a new greenfield site.

“We need to know what’s happening, what’s the future impact going to be?,” he said.

‘They don’t know who’s coming into the country’

On the streets of the town, many are reluctant to discuss the issue while others say they do not know the details of what is proposed.

But opposition is not too difficult to find on the busy shopping streets.

Joanne Fortune said it would be hard for people “to get their heads” around what was proposed.

“It’s the fact that they don’t know who’s coming into the country,” she said.

“There’s no-one vetted, no-one done anything like that. We have enough troubles in our own country.

“I know you have to leave people get on with their lives and things like that but it’s just very hard, very hard to deal with things like that.”

Meanwhile, Pat Lynch said the Government has mishandled the migration issue.

“I believe that Roderic O’Gorman is looking at the island of Ireland as a blank canvass, but he’s not aware that there’s people living on this island and he has total disrespect for the people living here,” Mr Lynch said.

“There’s communities being destroyed with this unworkable plan.”

‘No objections to leaving people live a normal life’

Others out and about in Clonmel were not opposed to the refugee housing.

Mary Croke said she understood that some local people had “issues” with the development, but hoped “it works out for everybody, in an amicable way”.

“That’s what we all want, peace in our lives and happiness for everybody,” she said.

Meanwhile, Liam Kennedy said he had “no objections to leaving people live a normal life” and that while people had a right to protest and voice their opinions, he himself was not against the modular homes.

Until recently, many refugees from Ukraine were accommodated in the Dr Pat O’Callaghan Sports Complex owned by Clonmel Town Football Club, under a contract between the club and Tipperary County Council which has ended.

This involved people staying in the complex’s main hall, generally for a few weeks at a time before they would move on to more permanent housing, and included up to a thousand people in total.

“Everybody in the club was behind it, which I’m very proud to say,” club chairman Michael Maher said.

“Also, we were involved at committee level in assisting with the food arrangement that went on here, as well. It was a good experience for us, we didn’t have any difficulties whatsoever.”

He pointed out that people coming from Ukraine had left “harrowing experiences” behind them.

“People coming here have lost everything,” Mr Maher said.

“But they’re lovely people and we never had any difficulties with them whatsoever.”

Of the current controversy, he said: “I think there’s a bit of confusion generally in the community about it and I think there’s confusion nationwide in terms of the Ukrainians and then other refugees that are being handled by International Protection Accommodation Service.

“Our experience here – the Ukrainian people are people who integrated well into the community, we had no issues whatsoever with them. That’s what I’d be saying to people.”