A suspected arson at a hotel in remote Rosscahill is the latest in a wave of attacks on asylum seeker housing, amid rising anti-immigrant rhetoric fuelled by far-right groups.
The government did not speak to the local community before they agreed to house 70 foreign nationals in their village which has a population under 400.
The accommodation is not fit for purpose, with only 18 rooms.
The local area does not have a regular bus service, and the hotel is about a 40 minute walk bad roads to get the stop that will bring you to the city. That costs about €8 of the €38 they get a week.
As per usual over here we are aware of a problem and how to fix it and can't seem to marry the two. I have no doubt there were right wings fools at this blockade but to flag it as a sinister turn in Ireland's anti immigrant positioning is not looking at the big picture.
The government does not build housing, during a housing and immigrant crisis. They are putting these people in the middle of nowhere without a plan. This is not the beginning of this crisis, the government could have made significant progress in temporary accomodation construction on any number of the Greenfield and brownfield sites they own but they haven't.
This hotel has been out of service for years, there is nothing local, and the people were not informed before this decision was made. It's not anti immigrating, it's the results of disenfranchisement and an arrogant populist government.
Yes, that is how you solve the problem of too many refugees being in one area. You burn down what little they have and then go on the internet to take issue with the tone of how it is reported not the arson itself.
I'm taking issue with the implication being this is a right wing turn against foreign nationals and not a result of piss poor communication from a shit government.
Also worth mentioning that Ross Lake Hotel was recently sold and I heard the new owner was going to be converting it back into a single house. I wouldn't be surprised if the new owner decided that was going to be harder than he thought. The timing of it all is very suspect