Justice Minister Simon Harris has suggested there are people “travelling from one part of the country to the next” to attend demonstrations outside hotels providing accommodation for international protection seekers.
There have been a number of demonstrations in recent weeks, including several days of protests at a Travelodge hotel in Ballymun.
Videos circulated online showed people chanting “get them out” at the hotel that is accommodating 221 asylum seekers, including nine children.
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The demonstrations have been widely condemned by politicians, including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien.
Speaking in TU Dublin in Grangegorman on Wednesday, Minister Harris said that he did want to call the events “protests”.
He suggested that groups not from the area are travelling to attend the events.
Minister Harris: “We do very careful planning these protests. In my mind, that's not what they are.
“In my mind, when people turn up outside a building that is providing temporary shelter to people, including women and children, and start saying things like, ‘shout to get them out’. Out, out, out.’
“That's not a protest. In my view, that's intimidation. It is not in any way, shape or form reflective of the communities in which these facilities and accommodation facilities are in.”
Minister Harris praised Lord Mayor of Dublin Caroline Conroy’s recent comments on the events and said that he agreed that communities need to be kept informed and provided information.
However, he said that people cannot be allowed to “hijack” concerns.
He continued: “It is a statement of the blind and obvious that there are certain individuals who travel from one part of our country to the next part of our country, to the next part of our country.
“In relation to security and policing matters, we don't comment publicly on all this.
“But I am aware that the gardaí take these matters very seriously.
“As Minister for Justice, one of my primary responsibilities is to ensure the safety of all individuals in this country. That includes the safety of people who have come here seeking refuge under the international protection agreement.”
He added: “When we hear, as we heard during this week, young children talking about how this so-called protest makes them feel, that concerns me. I shared the Taoiseach’s view in describing it as disturbing.”
Minister Harris said most communities have “embraced” the arrival of Ukrainian refugees. He accepted that while there are “real legitimate challenges” posed by the war, Governments are working “in real time”.
Roderic O’Gorman’s Department of Integration told the Irish Mirror earlier this week that it “ condemns any attempt to promote division and hostility towards those who come here seeking safety”.
There were similar protests held in Dublin last week about the accommodation of asylum seekers at a school in Drimnagh over the Christmas holidays. The refugees had moved out of the school before the protests had started.
A number of protests were also held in Dublin’s East Wall in December regarding the accommodation of refugees.
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