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SOME 30 people protested outside Linden House on New Road yesterday as the first of 55 male asylum seekers to be housed there arrived.

The placards highlighted the 3,000 homeless children in Ireland and called for local people to be housed first.

Linden House, a former guesthouse, has previously accommodated asylum seekers.

Independent councillor Donal Grady addressed the gathering, before handing in a petition stating the concerns of the protesters, outlining the lack of consultation with the community.

“Firstly, to make clear we believe that people from war-torn areas like Iraq and Syria should be accepted in our country,” Cllr Grady said before outlining concerns about the lack of consultation.

Days ahead of the confirmation that Linden House would be used as an accommodation centre for asylum seekers, Kerry County Council member Donal Grady had called for the property to open its doors to homeless people in Killarney.

Speaking to Killarney Advertiser, the former mayor of Killarney said: “We should look after our own first. There are at least 25 homeless people in Killarney at the moment and people who are homeless in this town continue to be sent to Tralee for accommodation. We are miles behind other counties when it comes to catering for homeless people.”