'Come to Roscrea' Mattie McGrath tells Minister Roderic O'Gorman

'Come to Roscrea and meet the people' was the request put to Minister Roderic O'Gorman in the Dáil on Tuesday evening when the issue of immigration in Ireland was opened up to statements from deputies.

Tipperary Independent TD, Deputy Mattie McGrath, pleaded for Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O'Gorman to face the people in Roscrea after the town saw major protest demonstrations over the repurposing of the Racket Hall Hotel for emergency accommodation.

On the issue of Roscrea, Deputy McGrath told the Dáil misinformation and disinformation had been "peddled here about ordinary decent people and I lay the blame with the Gardaí, the Garda Commissioner Harris and you Minister", aiming his words at Justice Minister, Helen McEntee.

"You didn't ask for a mediator, didn't ask for a public representative to mediate - nothing. It was just a show of strength that blagarded ordinary people.

"There wasn't a far right person there in that town and they have been denigrated by people in this house and elsewhere", Deputy McGrath said.

"It's a phony argument and if you think that blaming people and demonising them as 'far right' is going to solve this problem, its not. It has been hamfisted and erratic", Deputy McGrath added, thanking Minister O'Gorman and his Department for their assistance but claiming they have since "fled to the hills with no answers and no engagement".

Calling for a full parliamentary debate on immigration, Deputy McGrath said the issue is "delicate and emotive but it needs to be dealt with".

"The people out there are yearning for information and they're not getting it. I want Minister O'Gorman to clarify how many people are in his Department and how many people are on the engagement team - I imagine it is very little. 

"I want to know when are you going to have some joined-up thinking and have services in place and I demand of you Minister O'Gorman to meet the people in Roscrea.

"You won't find a far right person there - decent people who have been demonised and blagarded. Imagine taking away their hotel and the only outlet they have left in the town.

"They've taken in 80% of the IPAS people in County Tipperary already in that town and many hundreds of people working in that town in factories and other places and they have all integrated. This is not a way to deal with it and I would ask Minister O'Gorman to come and meet the good people of Roscrea", Deputy McGrath said.