Protests are continuing in Rosslare this evening with a meeting set for 6pm to discuss a rota for round the clock protests coming into the weekend.
The unrest comes following announcements that a fourth International Protection Accommodation Services centre is to be located in the village.
The site of the Great Southern Hotel had been previously been earmarked for a much needed nursing home, however, the Department of Integration last week confirmed plans to place up to 520 international protection applicants into the accommodation.
Following a meeting with Minister Roderic O’Gorman on Wednesday, locals decided to take action as they felt that their voices were not being heard.
One resident Niamh Dennis, spoke South East Radio News:
“What we have heard now is up to 520 people are going to be put onto that site when we are already overrun and under serviced. We have 400 participants on a WhatsApp group of people who are willing to stand up and fight for our nursing home which is what is needed in the area. We will be meeting tonight at 6pm to arrange a 24 hour rota to disrupt the building process and to ensure that no residents are moved into that location.”
On Saturday the group plan to obstruct traffic going to and from Rosslare Port from 12pm.
Another resident, Olivia Connolly, said that Ukranians that live at another IPAS centre in Rosslare will be coming out to support the demonstrations:
“The protesters this morning were approached by Ukrainians who are living in another hotel. They said that they would support us one hundred percent. They said its too much, its a very very small village and the locals have been fantastic. There will be a group of Ukranians coming out tonight to support us.”
Locals have stressed that over recent weeks that there is not enough facilities or infrastructure in the village to house the extra people and that a there are currently no nursing homes in the area.
Independent TD Verona Murphy has submitted a Section 5 to see if this particular development will need planning permission. In the meantime locals will continue to hamper the process until there is a response from An Bord Pleanala.
Ms Connolly went on to say that “we are going to be doing this 24/7 until the Government listen to us, we are going to make things difficult.”
