Taoiseach says there is a 'real fear' someone could be killed in an arson attack following recent protests
The Taoiseach says he is concerned that someone could be killed in an arson attack on accommodation used for asylum seekers.
Speaking in the Kosovan capital of Pristina during a two-day visit to the western Balkans, Leo Varadkar said that the idea of injury or death in an arson attack was something that "has been on his radar".
A number of facilities earmarked for use by asylum seekers have been damaged by fire over the last five years, with recent events in Galway and Dublin increasing focus on the issue. Thus far, nobody has been arrested for the incidents though Mr Varadkar said these are anticipated. He said that while protest was perfectly reasonable, there is "no excuse" for harming others or damaging property.
“Arson is a serious crime. It’s under investigation there have been searches we anticipate there will be arrests in the coming weeks and the full force of the law will be felt by anyone who engages in arson or engages in violence "When it comes to the centres themselves, some of them have security in the sense the owners themselves provide security "And the Gardaí are very much aware of the risks that arise, not just when we seek to establish a new accommodation centre but when it comes to existing ones as well that sadly are potential targets."
Asked if he had fears that someone will be injured or killed, Mr Varadkar said that he did.
"The existing ones have people in them and the proposed ones for the future sometimes will have security and nobody engaging in arson can know for sure that there isn’t someone in there, whether it is a night watchman, a security guard or perhaps somebody sleeping rough.
"So it is a big worry that I have and very much on my radar and a concern for the Minister for Justice and also the Gardaí."
Mr Varadkar said that the Government is in the process of trying to find new facilities to replicate those used at Citywest or Baleskin for large-scale housing of international protection applicants and that these facilities would handle initial processing.
The model that were are trying to move to, and we have done this to a certain extent in Citywest and Balesekn, is to have a small number of large centres around the country where international protection applicants can go to first and carry out some of the initial processing there "We are in the process of trying to find those sites at the moment."
However, Mr Varadkar denied that the Government was ceding the argument on immigration to far-right voices by changing the use of facilities after protests. A planned centre in Carlow became the second this week to switch from being used by single men to women and children, but Mr Varadkar said this was due to the prioritising of those most in need.
"In relation to the accommodation centres themselves, we've always said that we prioritise women and children and then also people who have disabilities or maybe particular needs. So that's what's happened in these cases. We need the accommodation for families."
He added that the argument could not be ceded and centre-ground politicians needed to be less afraid of getting involved in debates on the issue of immigration.
"I think to a certain extent, mainstream centre-ground politicians haven't been willing to talk about the issue of migration or have shied away from both the issue of migration and migration policy. You know, for fear of of stoking the issue or perhaps even ourselves being accused of certain positions.
"But I think we're way past that point now.
"I think those of us in governments, those of us in the centre ground politics, need to be willing to engage in the debate on migration to explain to people what our migration policy is, how it works and that migration in the round has been a very good thing for Ireland. It is rules-based and we do enforce those rules and also dispel some of the myths that have become quite mainstream in relation to our policies and that's something that I'll be doing, as Taoiseach in 2024.
"It's not a surprise that migration has become a hot topic in Irish politics. It is all over Europe, all over the world it was bound to happen (in Ireland) at some point.
"It's really important that those of us in the centre ground are not afraid to be involved in this debate."