New Coole group expresses concern about arrival of 98 people seeking asylum

The village of Coole doesn't have the infrastructure to cope with the arrival of 98 asylum seekers, according to a new group set up this week.

It's estimated that over 100 people packed into Burke's Bar last night for a meeting organised to discuss the relocation of 98 asylum seekers to Coole Court, a 12 apartment development in a renovated section of the former St Joseph's Orthopaedic Hospital.

According to the Department of Integration, the 98 people due to be housed in the 12 apartments will be made up of families who are seeking international protection in Ireland.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner today, a spokesperson for the group Coole Concerns, which organised the meeting, said that a lot of people are angry at what they feel is the lack of consultation by the Department of Integration.

“There was no consultation with the community. Robert Troy sent out a message at around 5.15pm last Friday telling us that a 12 month contract had been signed, while the documentation [from the department] that we got from Sinn Féin and FG said that it was a two year contract.

“No planning permission was needed to build the apartments. We can't build a house, but we can build a refugee centre.”

The spokesperson said that people are concerned that the village doesn't have the sewerage, educational or health infrastructure to cope with almost 100 new residents.

“No one in the community can get a doctor's appointment, you have to wait two or three weeks.

“We would like to know what nationality the people are. We are concerned about what their mental health will be like. These people will have no jobs, no money and there's not a lot to do around Coole.”

The spokesperson also said that some parents “are concerned about child safeguarding”.

“I have two children, I know I won't be able to let them walk down Coole to play with their friends. So many said that same things last night. We don't know who they are and they are not garda vetted.

“...We are not anti-immigrant. There's nothing for them here, there's nothing here for us. We have a population of around 500 and we are going to have an extra hundred people all of a sudden.”

A second meeting is scheduled to be held this evening (Friday), with the venue to be confirmed later this morning.