Still no sign of breakthrough on Oughterard DPC

NO resolution seems in sight in the bitter dispute that has seen numbers grow this week at a peaceful 24/7 protest outside a former hotel in Oughterard, now earmarked as a Direct Provision Centre (DPC) for asylum seekers.

According to local people, the numbers have grown in the protest over the course of last weekend, with little progress being made following a meeting in Dublin last week between a five-person local delegation and Minister of State David Stanton.

That meeting was facilitated by local Minister of State, Seán Kyne, and was followed on Thursday of last week by what was described as an informal meeting with Seán Lyons snr., of Fazyard Ltd. who are linked to the DPC project in Oughterard.

According to one of the Oughterard delegation, while the meeting with Mr. Lyons was at one level ‘friendly and cordial’, he claimed that there was also an element of intimidation at the meeting.

John Gibney told the RTE Radio 1 Drivetime programme on Monday evening, that Mr. Lyons had told them that his security firm were all ex-Irish Army Rangers and that he [Mr. Lyons] would protect his property and family.

Mr. Gibney told the programme that Mr. Lyons also said that while he didn’t like conflict, he didn’t back from it: according to Mr. Gibney the delegation felt intimidated following the meeting with three of them visibly upset.

He said that in the aftermath of what Mr. Lyons had said to them, the delegation had gone to Salthill Garda Station on Saturday, to put on the record what had been told to them at that meeting in Dublin.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.