Traveller groups have rounded on the Fianna Fáil Mayor of Dungarvan after she called for the Army to be drafted in to remove a large group of Travellers from illegal encampments in the Co Waterford town.
Councillor Nuala Ryan made her comments after Travellers in more than 30 caravans, cars and vans camped at the weekend in a public area which has views of Dungarvan Harbour and the surrounding coastline. Ms Ryan yesterday expressed outrage that nothing could be done to prevent the caravans stopping in an area known as The Lookout which is popular with locals and visitors.
While acknowledging that Waterford County Council officials had worked on the matter over the weekend, Ms Ryan claimed a shortage of gardaí had prevented more decisive action being taken.
"It was an invasion and I feel so sorry for the gardaí. How in the name of God could anyone expect a half a dozen to a dozen gardaí to physically remove those Travellers? What went on is just unacceptable. The majority of the residents in that area are senior citizens. The Travellers used the bandstand and park as a toilet.
"People came out of their front doors and there was soiled toilet paper thrown outside their doors. It is a disgrace. We have bins on poles for dog 'poo' and you have human beings doing this. It is a disgrace."
Ms Ryan also claimed that a Garda squad car was hit by a flare fired by Travellers on Sunday night, while another barely missed the roof of a house which backs on to the park.
"I am urging the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, and the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, to make an arrangement so that when this type of situation occurs, the gardaí in a town can immediately call on reinforcements, whether these are from the Army or other Garda districts," she said. The Travellers left Dungarvan on Monday.
The mayor has acknowledged that the town does not have a transient halting site. Waterford County Council has undertaken in its Traveller Accommodation Programme drawn up in 2000 to provide three such transient sites.
"We are expected to provide this and they know if there is no such place they can park where they want. If those people pull up and behave like normal people, not animals, then Dungarvan people would accept it," Ms Ryan said.
The mayor's outburst met with sharp criticism from Traveller groups, who accused her of fuelling negative and racist attitudes.
Ms Ronnie Fay from Pavee Point Travellers organisation called on her to show leadership by mediating with the local authority for land for such families. "Let the Army come in an provide emergency facilities, they should bring in water and toilets," she said.
"Travellers are going to travel, especially at this time of year, and local authorities should plan for this instead of rejecting nomadism." Ms Fay said no one would choose to live without toilets.
Ms Gráinne O'Toole from the Irish Traveller Movement said that as the council had not delivered on its statutory duty to provide transient Traveller sites, it was "a bit rich of the mayor to come out and make racist statements about Travellers when they have nowhere to go to".
Ms O'Toole welcomed the fact that Dungarvan provided an eight-unit permanent halting site in the town council area in 2002.