A West Clare Hotel is set to provide temporary emergency accommodation for over 40 International Protection Applicants.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has confirmed that an agreement has been reached in relation to the Central Hotel in Miltown Malbay.
Its understood a twelve month contract will be offered to the provider of the Central Hotel, which has capacity for 42 people in 17 rooms.
The resident breakdown will be for single male international protection applicants, but in the briefing document seen by Clare FM, the Department says it’s not possible to say with certainty what the length of stay will be.
This is due to the number of international protection applicants arriving in Ireland and the scarcity of alternative accommodation.
It’s understood most of the residents will be new arrivals and are eligible to work from 6 months after their arrival in Ireland.
They’ll be provided with a full board service, three meals a day and snacks included, with other essentials, such as toilet paper, replenished as needed , while fire alarms, fire-fighting equipment and security cameras will be fitted throughout the common walking areas.
The building is owned and will be operated by Tralprop Limited who will be providing accommodation to IPAS for the first time.
As the building was constructed prior to July 1992 it is therefore considered exempt to the provisions of the 1990 Building Control Act, however additional Fire Documentation has been provided from a Fire Engineer.
Under the conditions of the contract, the provider will dismantle the entire bar area including decommissioning and removal of all alcohol and dispensing equipment , while there will be 4-5 staff members on site staff on-site at all times providing 24 hour supervision.
The provider has confirmed that they have not made any links with local NGOs at this point but will work with all parties to support the integration of residents successfully.
Clare County Council will be made aware of the use of the facility.
Questions and Responses from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
1. How many people are intended to be accommodated in Central Hotel? What will the resident breakdown be at the building?
· The capacity is for 42 People in 17 rooms.
· The resident breakdown will be for Single Males.
2. How long can people expect to stay there?
It is not possible to say with certainty what the length of stay will be having regard to the number of IP applicants arriving in Ireland and the scarcity of alternative accommodation. A 12 month contract will be offered to the provider.
3. What are the conditions at the site – what are the sleeping arrangements, toilets, showers, etc.? What are the catering arrangements for the building?
· Hotel located centrally in a midsized town.
· Accommodation consists of 17 rooms varying in size.
· Toilets and showers are all ensuite.
· Residents will be provided with a full board service, 3 meals a day prepared on – site, with the supply of snacks / refreshments available from 11a.m. – 9 p.m.
· Toiletries replenished weekly.
· Fire alarms, fire-fighting equipment and security cameras fitted throughout the common walking areas.
I set out below a brief schedule of works the new owners have completed since they acquired the property in April 2023:
· Dismantling the entire bar area including decommissioning and removal offsite of all alcohol and dispensing equipment
· Reducing accommodation capacity to 42 persons, per the room and bed schedule provided
· Provision of 42 No single beds
· Repairing all roofing leaks
· Complying with all the requirements of the Fire Officer to ensure we got a clean bill of health for IPPS accommodation provision
· Installing 3 No fire doors, applying fire resistant intumescent paint as required and installing safety rails in windows as requested
· Repainting all rooms
· Upgrading all window blinds
· Decluttering the entire basement and removal of all unnecessary furniture
· Relaying floor coverings
· Installing new wifi and fire alarm systems
· Testing all electrical equipment and disposing offsite any non compliant equipment
· Removing all excess cooking equipment
· Other minor improvements
4. Who are the owners and who are operating on site? What experience do they have?
· The property is owned by Tralprop Limited and they will be operating the site with staff on-site 24 hours a day and there will be a manager and/or security staff on site at all times. Most of the staff have worked at the premises for many years which operated as a bar, restaurant and accommodation. This is the first time that the provider has provided accommodation to IPAS. The Centre Management team in IPAS have developed and rolled out (as a pilot initially) a training programme for all centre managers to take part in and this will be offered to the provider.
5. How many staff are on site? Is there a presence there 24/7? What are the security arrangements for the building?
· There will be up to 4/5 staff members on site each day with 24/7 supervision.
6. Is the building fire cert in place?
As the building was constructed sometime in the 19th Century (prior to the July 1992) it is therefore considered exempt to the provisions of the 1990 Building Control Act. Additional Fire Documentation has been provided from a Fire Engineer.
7. How will people be accommodated on site and retain a degree of privacy?
· Each resident will have their own lockable bedroom, each bedroom can be locked. CCTV does not have a view of bathrooms or bedrooms
8. How will IP applicants be provided with PPS numbers? Are some of them eligible to work?
· PPSNs are provided through DSP. Applicants are eligible to work from 6 months after their arrival in Ireland. Most of the residents will be new arrivals.
9. What health supports are available to IP Applicants?
· IPAS works closely with the HSE. IP applicants access health services through mainstream services: primary care, GP and emergency services. Any IP applicant residing in IPAS accommodation is entitled to a medical card.
· IPAS will advise their HSE liaison (seconded to IPAS) in advance of residents being accommodated.
10. What integration supports are available to provide linkages with the local community?
· An integration fund is available to assist in linkages to local communities. A detailed guidance document to this fund an online application form is linked here. For queries, contact: [email protected]
· IP applicants may avail of English language classes through the ETB.
· IPAS carry out resident clinics at all new and existing accommodation locations.
· IPAS work with a number of NGOs who provide support to residents in the form of clinics, and in addition there is a DCEDIY funded confidential NGO run helpline to assist with any queries a resident may have.
11. What supports are available to provide day to day activities to the IP Applicants?
· IP applicants may avail of English language classes through their local ETB.
· An adult resident receives an allowance of €38.80 per week. Residents also get three meals per day. Other assistance from the Department of Social Protection, such as bus fares to attend appointments, is available at the discretion of the local community welfare officer.
· Adults are entitled to work in Ireland after six months and can avail of English language classes from the local Education Training Board
· IPAS carries out resident clinics at all new and existing accommodation locations to communicate with residents.
· IPAS works closely with the HSE. International protection applicants are entitled to mainstream health services.
· IPAS works with a number of Non-Governmental Organisations who provide support to residents in the form of clinics, and there is a Department of Children, Education, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) funded confidential NGO run helpline to assist with any queries that residents may have as well as an IPAS Helpdesk manned by Department officials.
· International protection applicant (IPAs) are not entitled to apply for or avail of social housing or the Housing Assistance Payment while their claim for asylum is being determined by the International Protection Office (IPO). If an international protection applicant (IPA) has somewhere else to live in Ireland such as with a friend, spouse or family member they may do so. If an IPA does not have somewhere to live and need to be accommodated by the Irish State for the duration of their application for asylum with the International Protection Office (IPO) they will be accommodated in an International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centre.
· Initially, an IPA will be accommodated in an IPAS accommodation centre for the purposes of orientation, information provision, voluntary health screening, needs assessment and assistance with the first stages of asylum applications, before being sent to a longer term centre depending on individual circumstances and
centre capacity. They will receive three meals per day in the centre or, where there is independent living facilities in place that allows people to cook for themselves, they will receive food vouchers to purchase their own food in local supermarkets.
· IPAs are entitled to apply for permission to access the labour market after 6 months in the state. Intreo supports and services will be specifically geared towards encouraging a greater diversity of employment options for applicants. They will be entitled to access supports from Intreo to assist them in accessing employment. Once labour market access has been granted, it is already the case that applicants can attend further education and training courses to help in upskilling.
· Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses are also often focused on directly developing skills for employment and applicants are provided access will also be provided to employer networks to make applicants aware of available opportunities and to raise employer awareness of applicants’ skills and qualifications.
12. Is any assessment provided to IP Applicants to ascertain their needs or vulnerabilities?
· Yes. IPAS have a team working to provide vulnerability assessments. It should be noted that this team remains under considerable pressure in the context of high numbers of arrivals and opening of a high number of new emergency locations.
13. Is Clare the only area considered for this type of accommodation, or have other areas in the city/country been examined? How many other centres like this are in operation?
· Emergency centres have been opened in all parts of the country. There have been over 100 accommodation locations utilised in 2022 across 17 counties.
· These options must be considered to prevent homelessness for the unprecedented numbers of people arriving seeking international protection.
14. How do IPAS engage and inform communities in advance?
· The emergency nature of the response required means that advance communications are not as comprehensive or as early as we would like.
· Effort is made to notify public representatives and State agencies in advance.
· Clare County Council will be made aware of the use of the facility.
· The provider has confirmed that they have not made any links with local NGOs at this point but will work with all parties to support the integration of residents successfully.
15. Who should public representatives contact with follow on queries or concerns?
· Queries should be raised with the facilities manager in the first instance. The contact is Pat who can be contacted by email at: [email protected] and by phone at 086 8534331.
· IPAS operational queries and questions can be sent to [email protected]
· IPPS procurement and contract queries can be directed to [email protected]
