Sinn Féin TD for Tipperary, Martin Browne, has called for dialogue and calm following protests at the arrival of international protection applicants to Dundrum House Hotel.

He said that Tipperary has been let down by successive governments with communities right across the county suffering as a result of failures to deliver on housing, on health and on public services.

In calling for the people of Tipperary to stand together, he added that the blame for these failings lies firmly at the feet of government, and emphasised that those frustrations cannot and should not be directed at vulnerable people coming to the county fleeing traumatic situations.

Teachta Browne said:

“Tipperary has been let down by successive governments, with over 3,000 people on the county’s housing list, and a creaking health service following the closure of the emergency department at Nenagh Hospital and a shortage of GPs right across the county.

“Those well-founded frustrations cannot and should not be taken out on vulnerable people arriving here fleeing traumatic situations. These people deserve compassion and respect.

“The responsibility for the lack of housing in Tipperary, the depleted health system in the county and the running-down of public services lies entirely at the feet of the government.

“Division will achieve nothing for our communities. We need the people of Tipperary to stand together and demand that the government provide the services that everyone in this county needs and deserves.

“What we do not need is public representatives using inflammatory and unhelpful language that only serves to escalate the tensions we have seen in recent days. Everyone must be treated with respect and decency at all times.

“We all know that the government’s approach is not working. Sinn Féin has called for state-run and state-owned services for international protection applicants where there is a capacity to support them, and the creation of an honest, consistent multi-departmental and multi-agency approach to community consultation.

“But where tensions and concerns arise, we need calm, we need dialogue with the community and community groups, and we need leadership on the ground from all our public representatives.”