Cllr Aiden Fitzpatrick has called on Cavan County Council to write to the Government advising them of the necessity to engage in public consultation with communities in advance of the arrival of refugees to rural towns.
He made this calls at this week's meeting of the local authority after highlighting how medical, GP, educational, and social services are now "stretched to the last" as a result of the recent arrival of over 100 Ukrainian refugees to the White Horse Hotel.
The Fine Gael local area representative says concerns are growing further in the town as a result of rumours that additional refugees will be arriving soon. Cllr Fitzpatrick says the Government must consult with communities before refugees arrive so that it can be established if the appropriate services - including public transport - are in place to meet their needs.
He added that every effort is being made by the community in Cootehill to help the refugees that are now living in the town to integrate and stay well. "Public consultation is very important. It is needed if 120 people are going to be brought into a town and just dropped there.
"People in Cootehill are growing concerned over what I believe is all the secrecy that is surrounding what is happening at the White Horse Hotel. At the moment people are saying that more refugees are coming to the hotel and yet nobody knows whether this is true or not.
"If there was public consultation and a promise of services in the town at least people would know, and it might be a help," said Cllr Fitzpatrick.
