Aontú councillor “didn’t expect backlash” over proposed IPAS centres in Meath
An Aontú councillor has said he did not expect the backlash following his presence at a public meeting against proposed International Protection centres located in Meath.
David Boyne, who is a local councillor for Trim, stood up at a “Trim Says No” rally on May 30, where he spoke about a recent decision not to permit an International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centre in an industrial unit in the area.
Speaking to the Irish Independent after June’s district meeting, Cllr Boyne said he was against the unit being used as an IPAS centre because it was not suitable for people to live in.
He said: “I was against it, not because I’m racist or against helping people but because it is not the place to put people in. The windows are broken, there’s antisocial behaviour and as far as I know, the whole building was condemned.”
“Everyone assumes that if you are against an IPAS centre, you’re racist - it is the default position people seem to have.”
Earlier this month, the Irish Independent reported that before being handed the microphone at the rally, Mr Boyne was told he was not allowed to mention politics, including “f words” that relate to political parties. However, during his speech Mr Boyne said that people power came in two forms, violence or voting.
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In the last two months, Meath County Council decided not to provide Erinpark Ltd with an exemption to turn a unit in Oak Tree Business Park into a centre for international protection applicants. A separate application for a premises at Fairgreen, Summerhill Road, was also turned down.
Mr Boyne said he was not telling those gathered at the meeting to use violence to oppose IPAS centres.
“My words were twisted - I arranged a public information meeting a number of weeks ago. I made sure to put the words ‘public meeting’ in the advertisement for this. Other people turned up and had ‘anti IPAS’ on their banners which was not what it was.”
Cllr Boyne, who was elected last year, said he put up some videos on social media before the rally to say: “This wasn’t about hate or discrimination and if there was any sort of violence, I was going to cut the meeting short, and in the end, that was what I had to do. Somebody turned up who was a bad actor and I had to cut the meeting.”
“I didn’t think there would be a backlash. There’s a certain element of people out there that don’t like me and they use any chance they get to twist your words or make out that you’re a bad person,” he added.