Tented accommodation is being used again to house international protection applicants in Clare.
The facilities have come back into use at Knockalisheen direct provision centre, despite Government pledges to ensure it wouldn’t happen again just a month ago.
Controversy arose last month when it emerged a number of asylum seekers were spending nights in tents in Knockalisheen during the cold snap, in sub-zero conditions.
More than 80 men were subsequently re-located, a ‘small number’ of whom were allocated permanent accommodation.
Integration Minister Roderic O’ Gorman then stated ‘every effort’ would be made to ensure a similar situation didn’t arise again.
However, less than a month later, it’s understood a further 88 international protection applicants are once again living in tents at the South East Clare centre.
CEO of migrant organisation Doras, John Lannon, says the situation isn’t acceptable.
The Department of Integration has told Clare FM it’ll endeavour the use of tents in Knockalisheen ‘is a short term measure’ but that the priority must be ‘providing shelter’ in the context of the accommodation crisis.
However, they have said other tented facilities in Athlone and Tralee won’t come back into use, despite the use of tents here.
A former justice minister, meanwhile, says Ireland needs to process asylum applications much faster.
Last year, 13,319 people sought international protection here, with 70,000 Ukrainian refugees also arriving.
About 20 per cent of all those seeking asylum in 2022 were from Georgia, which is deemed a safe country of origin.
Senator Michael McDowell says the only solution is for the International Protection Office to speed up the application process.
Meanwhile, it’s understood a warehouse in Shannon is currently being worked on to house a significant number of refugees.
Clare FM has approached the Office of Public Works for comment on the matter.
Department of Integration statement:
As of the 2nd of January 2023, Ireland is now accommodating over 71,255 people. This includes over 51,955 Ukrainian people who have sought accommodation from the State and over 19,300 International Protection applicants currently in IPAS accommodation. Around 1,5000 people (approx. 800 BOTP and 700 IP) arrived over the Christmas period.
There are currently 88 people residing in tented accommodation.
The war in Ukraine combined with the high number of International Protection applicants continues to put real pressure on the Government’s ability to offer accommodation, and has resulted in the largest humanitarian effort in the State’s history.
The Department will endeavour to ensure that the use of tents at Knockalisheen is a short-term measure but in the context of the accommodation shortage, the priority must remain on providing shelter. Nonetheless, the tented options previously in place in Athlone and Tralee will remain decommissioned and will not return to use.
