Arrival of asylum seekers in Moville will have to be postponed over arson attack (Ireland)

Arrival of asylum seekers in Moville will have to be postponed over arson attack (Ireland)

Greg Hughes from Highland Radio heard the reaction to the arson attack on the Caiseal Mara hotel in Moville from Councillor Martin Farren (Labour), Tracy Cullen Sheehan from the "Friends of the Centre", and Lucky Kambhule from the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (masi.ie). Hughes also spoke to Detective Inspector Pat O'Donnell about the ongoing investigation into the incident.

The owner of the hotel who was taken to Letterkenny as a precaution for smoke inhalation, has been released. His daughter suffered no in juries but Greg heard that this could have very easily be a murder investigation and the owner of the hotel was lucky to be alive. The ground floor of the hotel was extensively damaged.

Councillor Farren said the arrival of asylum seekers will have to be postponed. 30 were set to arrive in early December — "but that will hardly happen now". Farren had previously talked to the head of the Reception and Integration Agency, Eugene Banks, who had told him that until the hotel gets a fire certificate, there would not be any asylum seekers moved in. That certificate was in progress until the fire happened.

Hughes asked Farren whether it was safe to open a Direct Provision centre in Moville while an "arsonist roams the streets" and Farren told him that this was a matter for RIA and perhaps they would need a security guard for the hotel depending on the whether there is a positive result in the investigation.

Detective Inspector Pat O'Donnell appealed for the arsonist to come forward. He said a full investigation team had carried out a full forensic investigation on hotel, gathered CCT footage and even looked in bins for evidence. He asked the members of the public to call the Garda Confidential line if anyone had any information about the incident.

He told Hughes that an accelerant had been used, and asked for anybody who had encountered someone who "reeked of petrol" on Sunday Morning to get in touch. The Detective Inspector also said that he was aware threats were made on facebook to burn down the hotel. He asked for anyone who was aware of a person who they suspect may have acted upon their anger at the planned Direct Provision centre in Moville to also contact them.

Broadcast: Nine til Noon Show | Highland Radio | 26 Nov 2018

https://www.invidio.us/watch?v=nDjuy1EedWU

https://www.invidio.us/channel/UCgzyycFR6PEv-B90rAiFsQg