Ireland’s Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin was one of many who have been expressing concern at the opening of a new Church of Scientology conference centre in Dublin.
The new complex has capacity for 1,100 people and opened in Firhouse at the weekend.
Martin said he was “concerned” about the development. “I think these type of cults can be very damaging to people, particularly young people,” he said, amid speculation the new cenetr would become a new European headquarters for the religion that counts actor Tom Cruise among its members.
Martin stopped short of advocating a ban on the church. “We’ve a whole range of issues that just don’t lend themselves to a simple ban on a particular issue. It is more complex than that,” he said.
More than 1,000 Scientologists attended the opening in Firhouse, many travelling from Germany, the UK, Switzerland and the United States.
The event drew a small protest outside the centre.
The leader of the Church of Scientology, David Miscavige, cut the ribbon to open the centre.
One local councillor, Dermot Looney, said on Twitter that he would have nothing to do with the scientologists and that he would monitor the situation to make sure no vulnerable people are targeted.
