Opposition growing in Ballaghaderreen to modular home proposals

A public meeting in Ballaghaderreen last week attended by up to a hundred local people expressed strong opposition to the modular homes proposed for the town.

There are 47 units being proposed to cater for 206 Ukrainian refugees in the Little Oaks area of Ballaghaderreen, located near a nursing home. These homes comprise 18 three-bed units and 29 two-bed units.

Those who spoke at the meeting in Spell’s Bar, Ballaghaderreen on Wednesday of last week raised concerns about a range of issues – lack of doctors, lack of dental services, school capacity, no affordable housing or accommodation in the town, and lack of investment.

A number of speakers expressed concern about accommodating two hundred Ukrainian people given the lack of resources available. One person at the meeting suggested that a 24-hour blockade be staged at the site identified for the modular homes.

One parent said she was deeply troubled by the direction the town was heading. “The lack of essential services, employment opportunities, healthcare facilities, it is clear the needs of a growing community are not being met.

“The modular home plans show a complete disdain for the community and the service providers on the ground in Ballaghaderreen, and it has been struggling with economic challenges for years.” She asked what the town could offer refugees coming from a war-town county. “Surely, we have a duty of care to these people but the town lacks basic amenities,” she said, pointing to the lack of certain retail outs, a temporary library, and no swimming pool.

“You can’t even buy a pair of shows here in the town and we are also lacking a 24/7 dedicated Garda presence in the town.” 

Michael Scally, who was a local councillor from 1991 to 2004, told the meeting that Ballaghaderreen was a welcoming town but “enough is enough”.

“We welcomed people with the whole of our heart when the Syrians came here in 2017 but we got nothing. We were promised everything, but we got nothing in return. We have been walked on for the last seven years.

“I hate using the word ‘dumping ground’ but we are a dumping ground. This is the last straw. I am totally opposed to those 47 houses going up.

“We have no employment. We have no Government representative in Ballaghaderreen. TDs in this county are not Government TDs so what more can you expect. Enough is enough.

“I am eighty years of age, and I am meeting elderly people every day who cannot get houses. We must look after our own people,” he said.

Mr Scally asked that all sitting councillors and local election candidates sign a pledge opposing the installation of the 47 modular homes.

“Our own people who are homeless cannot get a house, that’s the situation we have in this town,” he said.

The meeting also heard there were a number of public meetings in other areas of the county raising similar concerns about plans for modular homes.

The organisers of the meeting, calling themselves ‘Ballaghaderreen Concerned Citizens’, have since established a committee of 10 people.