Around 30 additional asylum seekers are due to take up residence at Lisdoonvarna’s Direct Provision Centre today.
They’re the second wave of families to arrive at the King Thomond Hotel in the north Clare village, after a year long contract was signed to house up to 115 asylum seekers last month.
The hotel opened it’s doors to the first 30 residents in mid-March, but a small number of those have since made alternative accommodation arrangements.
Concern had been expressed by some, that local services would be unable to cope with such a large influx of residents, but the Department of Justice has reassured that extra resources regarding health and education have been put in place.
Statement from the Department of Justice
At the time of making an application for international protection, an applicant is offered accommodation and related services on behalf of the State.
This initial offer includes a separate offer of a medical screening at our Reception Centre in Balseskin together with linkages to the availability of Medical cards, access to payments from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, etc.
After an initial few weeks in Balseskin, applicants are usually transferred to one of our accommodation centres across the country where they are linked in with the local HSE, DEASP, Education and other State services.
There is no obligation on an applicant to accept that offer of accommodation or indeed the offer of medical screening, etc. Equally there is no obligation on the applicant to accept the offer of accommodation in any of our accommodation centres around the country. Many applicants choose to live on their own means within the community as they are of course free to do so.
We are aware that a small number of persons are no longer using their accommodation in Lisdoonvarna. This is of course their right to do so as there is no requirement on them to accept the offer of accommodation.
The only obligation placed on applicants is to notify the International Protection Office, who are processing their application, of their current address.
