Security staff allegedly assaulted and vehicles damaged by fire at Clonmel site earmarked for refugee accommodation

Security staff were allegedly targeted in an incident at a site earmarked for the housing of Ukranian refugees in modular homes in Clonmel, Co Tipperary on Thursday night.

One man needed hospital treatment after a number of people allegedly assaulted security personnel contracted to work at the site on Heywood Road outside the town. It is understood that nobody was seriously injured in the incident.

A number of vehicles were also damaged by fire in an alleged instance of criminal damage.

No arrests have been made at this stage, a Garda spokesman said. Gardaí in Clonmel are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Works on 82 rapid build homes to be used by Ukrainian refugees have commenced at the Heywood Road site. The accommodation is expected to be ready before the end of the year.

The site, previously owned by the HSE, is being transferred to the Office of Public Works’ (OPW) portfolio.

A spokeswoman for the OPW said it was aware of the incident at the site overnight. “The OPW is engaging with the contractor, Sisk Ltd, in relation to site security, and An Garda Síochána in relation to the public order issues arising at the site,” she said.

Separately, a convoy of trucks carrying 18 modular housing units was blocked from entering a site in Coole, Co Westmeath on Friday following reports they were to be used to house asylum seekers. The protest began at 4am on Friday after locals, who had received a tip-off that the units were arriving, parked cars in front of the site where they were to be installed.

Gardaí closed the road soon after the blockade began and put diversions in place while patrol cars were stationed at each entrance to the village.