Thornton Hall plan will be ‘disaster’ for Ashbourne

Calls have been made for Ashbourne to be included in any discussion relating to Thornton Hall, the site in Fingal that is due to house 1,000 asylum seekers in tented accommodation before the end of June.

It was announced recently the 156-acre site, owned by the Department of Justice, will be utilised for “emergency-style” tents due to the ongoing accommodation crisis.

It is understood that five acres of the site will initially be assigned for tented-village style accommodation.

Separately, it is now believed that 25 acres of the site is being assessed for a permanent structure to house asylum seekers.

Details of the contract to house refugees at Thornton Hall on an emergency basis for one year were circulated to local politicians in north Co Dublin last week.

According to the document the exact number of beds to be provided at Thornton Hall “is currently under review and further information on this will be provided closer to the time the site is available”.

The briefing note said “a portion of the larger site at Thornton Hall”, located in an area known as The Ward, is to be used to provide tented accommodation to adult male international protection (IP) applicants. The move is described as a short-term solution which allows the department more time to make alternative arrangements.

The site is owned by the Irish Prison Service which has entered a caretaker agreement with the Department of Integration. A facilities management company will operate the site.

The update said the facilities manager will provide a sufficient number of toilet and shower blocks for residents.

A fully catered service will be provided, with three meals daily for residents. Snacks and tea/coffee stations will be available to residents 24/7.

There is “and will continue to be” a security presence on the site. CCTV is in-place and the facility will be staffed at 24/7, the briefing said.

They noted Ireland was legally obliged under an EU directive to provide accommodation to IP applicants who seek it, while their claim for international protection is being determined by the Department of Justice.

The news has caused widespread shock and fury among the community in Ashbourne at the lack of any consultation with a number of protests taking place in recent days.

“It is like someone has dropped a bomb in the community here,” said Sinn Fein cllr and local election candidate, Helen Meyer.

“Everyone is so upset and it is hard to watch the impact,” she added.

The land at Thornton Hall is in the Fingal County Council area and does not fall under the remit of Meath Co Council. Meyer says neither the CE nor the integration officer at Meath Co Co were notified of the plans.

“As is the norm in this situation, there was no prior consultation or discussion of any sort with the local elected representatives, contracts were signed without any consultation with the local community,” she said.

“As we know, the people affected most by this will be those who live in Ashbourne, as it is the closest town to Thornton Hall and yet Meath Co Co are an after-thought.

“I really wish they would pause this, it is going to be an absolute disaster for the area.”