Press Releases
Statement by the Archbishop of Armagh, the Archbishop of Dublin, and the Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral regarding the asylum seekers in St Patrick's Cathedral
Following a night of intense discussion during which senior Church personnel attempted to broker a resolution between the asylum seekers and the authorities, we regret to say that these talks have reached an impasse again. We had arrived at a set of proposals which were acceptable to the asylum seekers and which we felt offered a fair and equitable way forward for all parties. Unfortunately, this view was not shared by the Department of Justice. In an attempt to find a way forward, the Church has offered a Church official to act as an independent observer at further interviews. Regrettably, this too is rejected by the Department of Justice.
We fully accept the Department?s position on due process but a mechanism must be found to enable the return of the asylum seekers to this process.
We have now been instructed by the Department of Justice to withdraw from all negotiations as it has placed this matter solely in the control of An Garda Siochana whose responsibility it is now to deal with this matter.
Notwithstanding the failure of these talks we renew our appeal to the asylum seekers to respect this holy place, to desist from their protest and leave quietly and with dignity.
Further information from:
Janet Maxwell tel: (087) 9484412
(from outside the Republic of Ireland) 00 353 87 948 4412
Garrett Casey tel: (087) 2356472