Puckane residents will meet Minister over asylum centre concerns - Kelly

The residents of Puckane will meet with Minister Roderic O'Gorman after the community expressed grave concerns about plans to accommodate refugee families in the small Tipperary village.

Labour TD, Alan Kelly has arranged a meeting between a delegation from the Puckane Community Group and Minister O'Gorman to express their concerns about the decision to place asylum seekers into 12 thatched holiday cottages in the village.

"There has been considerable concern amongst Puckane residents with the news that Double Property Group are intent on housing international protection residents in a number of holiday cottages in the village", Deputy Kelly told this newspaper on Friday (Oct 28).

"The chief concerns are based around the lack of services such as health, education and transport available in the village, which has less than 220 residents. The local community and the local Councillors have been looking for a meeting with Minister Roderic O’Gorman who is responsible for this area", Deputy Kelly said.

"Over the last two weeks I’ve had several conversations with Minister O’Gorman to formulate those concerns and as a result he has agreed to meet a delegation from Puckane on Wednesday, November 7.

"I hope this can be a positive meeting where all concerns are raised and taken on board", Deputy Kelly said.

Following recent coverage of plans by a Dublin based property group to convert the village's 12 thatched holiday cottages to a permanent facility for accommodating people seeking asylum in Ireland, the Puckane residents group issued a statement outlining why they feel the property is unsuitable for the repurposing plans.

Strong objections to accommodating asylum seekers in Tipperary village

Double Property Group (DPG), a family run company, have over 25 years of providing properties to the government for social housing initiatives, but in recent years have diversified into the development of Direct Provision Centres and now Asylum Seeker Reception Centres.
 
After securing a tender in August of this year, DPG set on meeting the tender requirements by finding a development of 10 (minimum 2 bed) units for sale. The thatched cottages in Puckane were put on the market in the summer priced at €2-million.

The Puckane Community Group issued a statement critical of the plans and said "what has has ensued is a perfect example of complete lack of research, pitiful stakeholder engagement and ultimately a complete disregard for the ultimate wellbeing of
those they are supposed to accommodate and decimation of a local community".

'Major distress among Puckane residents' over asylum centre plans

The group representing the wider community say they are focused on three issues: Suitability for incoming residents; the decimation of Puckane's tourism potential and the unsustainable growth of a local community.