Mixed opinion on plans for emergency accommodation

PUBLIC opinion on the temporary emergency accommodation for asylum seekers in Cookstown is mixed, according to a committee member from the Belgard Heights Residents’ Association.

The residents’ association held a public meeting in the Belgard Community Centre on Tuesday evening, to allow people to air their views on the asylum seeker accommodation.

Over 50 people attended the meeting, including local politicians Paul Murphy TD, Cllr Louise Dunne, and Cllr Kieran Mahon.

Peter Forde, secretary of the Belgard Heights Residents’ Association, told The Echo: “Opinion on the whole thing is divided.

“Some are sympathetic to the migrants, some people have negative views on it, to varying degrees.”

Mr Forde said a key sticking point in the community is an apparent lack of communication between them and the Department of Integration about the emergency accommodation.

“Our big beef is that there was no communication with us or with the councillors about this,” he explained.

“The first that anybody had heard of it was last Monday week, when a video appeared on social media drawing attention to the building and that it would be used for migrants.

“As far as the residents’ association is concerned, our number one priority is that we get access to and communication from the Department, and that we don’t get this sort of settlement where it’s done by stealth – and that’s what they’ve done in this case.”