Kildare residents stage road protest ahead of meeting over refugees accommodation

A group of County Kildare residents complaining over a lack of information surrounding plans to accommodate Ukrainian refugees at a former equestrian centre staged a weekend motorcade protest.

The demonstration on Sunday morning came ahead of a meeting with Roderic O’Gorman, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, which is due to take place in Dublin this evening (November 22).

Another protest is planned by residents for Dáil Eireann just before today’s meeting.

Between 100 and 200 vehicles, driven by Kill residents, took part in the garda-managed demonstration to Naas and back.

They have criticised a lack of information about a proposal to house 350 people in the former equestrian centre on the outskirts of the village.

“We’re not against Ukrainian refugees, the fact is we have had no communication. We have sent letters to the minister and to other  departments but they keep on fobbing us off,” said Kill resident Diana Maynard.

She added residents are concerned that there may be plans  to put single units on the  site and this would appear to go against the claim that the site will be used by women and children.

Ms Maynard said there are fears that the centre in Kill will become a “step down facility” for those living at the Citywest Hotel near Saggart, the country’s principal accommodation centre for people arriving here from war torn Ukraine.

“We’re not racist, we’ve donated more to Ukraine than many other communities - but what we are against is zero communication and a 10% increase in population,” said Ms Maynard. 

She claimed that no assessment had been done on the suitability of the equestrian centre.

Some residents have expressed concern that the meeting with Mr O’Gorman was put off for a week to facilitate the passage of legislation which would provide planning guidelines allowing the centre to be used.

However this was disputed by Kildare Mayor and local councillor Fintan Brett, who said a European Union directive was in place covering the use of premises without specific planning permission being in place.

He also said that he understands that Ukrainian women and children would be accommodated there.

Cllr Brett further pointed out that the the owners of the site have longer term plans to provide housing there but this will be subject to an assessment of any proposal and the likely need for a new road to be built.

He added there was “not a prayer “ of Kildare County Council agreeing for the centre being used for anyone other than Ukrainian refugees.

“They (Ukrainian refugees) have been traumatised enough without opposition to this,” he said, adding that he expected residents will be reassured by what the minister has to say.

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