Gardai have vowed to investigate violent protests against asylum seekers after a camp was set on fire.
The scenes unfolded last weekend after a makeshift camp in Dublin’s inner city was set up to house immigrants without accommodation.
Footage on social media showed the camp in flames after wooden pallets were set on fire at the camp on Sandwith Street.
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Garda Representative Association (GRA) president Brendan O'Connor said the situation put pressure on gardai due to a lack of resources – but pledged that immigrants have the same rights as residents to have their property protected.
He said: “What we are seeing is reactive policing and reacting to these situations as they arise.
“It’s putting additional stress and strain on our members. It’s well documented that Garda numbers have fallen.
“In [Dublin] city centre, we’re struggling to keep beats out on patrol for ordinary day-to-day policing.
“We need to see better planning, but it’s difficult for management due to years of under investment. It’s crisis management repeatedly.”
He added: “The fundamental role of An Garda Siochana is to protect life and property. That’s what we are duty bound to do.
“It doesn’t matter what your status is, residential or immigrant. We will investigate it as a crime.”
Fiona Hurley, who is chief of migrant and refugee rights centre Nasc, said: “The arson attack was clearly abhorrent and really highlights how worrying it is that the situation has escalated this far and how dangerous the situation is now for those who have been left homeless after fleeing their own country.”
Integration Minister Roderic O'Gorman revealed that some 480 immigrants, who are sleeping rough, will be offered accommodation over the next week.
He indicated that hundreds of beds are due to become available.
Minister O'Gorman said: "Irrespective of how robust the system you have, when you have that kind of increase, you're going to put a strain on it.
“We see that same strain on systems across Europe. But we have to do better in terms of meeting our obligations to international protection applicants.”
Minister O'Gorman also revealed that he and Justice Minister Simon Harris were to meet Garda management to discuss events at the weekend.
Included in the discussions was the destruction of the Sandwith Street camp, which was condemned by the Irish Refugee Council.
The camp was set up by people who have come to Ireland without State accommodation.
The Government stated earlier this year that it could not offer accommodation to new asylum seekers from January 24 due to a nationwide shortage after taking in 84,000 people displaced from Ukraine amid Russia’s war against the country.
Some 582 asylum seekers arrived last week.
Minister O'Gorman said: "We've a couple of hundred beds coming online across this week.
“We already had some come online on Friday and again this is going to enable us to ensure that this group of people are safe.
“That they are accommodated, and we will continue to work for those who we are not in a position to accommodate to provide services to them."
He added that there has been a "significant number of beds from hotel contractors who weren't looking to contract with us any further".
Of the protests, he said: "People have the right to disagree with Government policy and people have the right to protest, but they don't have a right to intimidate people."
He added: "They don't have a right to commit acts of violence and we'll be engaging with the minister on this point."
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