‘Roscommon says No to IPAS’ group to hold peaceful protest

The ‘Roscommon says No to IPAS’ committee has planned “a peaceful protest” for this Saturday, July 5th at 2 p.m. in Roscommon Town. The protest will take place on the Market Square.

In a statement the committee commented that “the lack of clarity and consultation” in relation to plans for Academy House in the town “has incensed locals, which has helped the group gather support from the community. The fact we have an already stretched health service, no housing and limited employment in Roscommon, the group believes an IPAS centre in Roscommon is not feasible as we can barely and in some cases not at all, look after our current citizens, regardless of their nationality.

“The government have spent €1 billion on accommodation for those who applied for Asylum in 2024 alone and are on track to spend €1.1 billion in 2025 and that is not factoring in food and daily spending money for asylum seekers - a completely unsustainable model, especially given we have seen funding cut for essential services while investment in other public services is not provided.”