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NEARLY ONE HUNDRED asylum seekers have been relocated from a hotel in Co Monaghan to make rooms available ahead of Ireland’s tourist season.
As pressure on the asylum system continues, the use of emergency accommodation has been necessary since last year, the Department of Justice and Equality has said.
Campaigners, however, have criticised the instability of locating people in hotels and B&Bs in remote areas.
A contract issued by the department last September to Treacy’s Hotel in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan to provide beds on an emergency basis ends later this month. Residents have now been moved to Co Meath to another emergency set-up as a result.
People living in the hotel started leaving their rooms last Thursday. The majority have now been relocated to a hotel in Co Meath. Others have been dispersed to B&Bs in Co Monaghan, the contracts for which end later this month.
It is understood that several people have also been relocated to a hotel in Co Louth which has recently started accommodating asylum seekers.
With Ireland’s 38 Direct Provision centres currently at capacity, the department’s Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) will continue to source these emergency beds in commercial businesses around Ireland until more permanent centres are opened.
Direct Provision centres are generally re-purposed or purpose-built facilities to accommodate asylum seekers in Ireland. Some centres are state-run but most are tendered out to various private contractors.
Despite saying in early January that asylum seekers are placed in emergency accommodation “for a short period before they are moved into the mainstream accommodation system”, a number of people have been residing in Cavan-Monaghan emergency accommodation for six months, TheJournal.ie has learned.
As of late December, six hotels and B&Bs were contracted to the Department to provide emergency accommodation to asylum seekers. These contracts end in late March.
In January, a further three hotels in Co Dublin were contracted to provide emergency beds as well as one hotel in Co Louth and a hotel in Co Waterford.
‘Severe pressure’
Lucky Khambule of the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) has said that his organisation “is concerned and opposed to people’s lives being made unstable by moving them around for the convenience of the hotel’s needs.”
“To us it shows that our people do not matter at all as long as those tasked to protect them actually put them in risk by moving them around”.
Due to the rise in the number of applicants for international protection in Ireland, however, “severe pressure” is being placed on RIA, according to a spokesperson.
To comply with the EU Reception Conditions directive, use of emergency accommodation has been necessary since September, they said.
“It is not possible to predict how many people may arrive in any given year seeking international protection,” a department spokesperson has said.
In late January, the department tendered for more emergency accommodation to provide beds and food for those seeking international protection in Ireland.
The call-out notice for the contract states that RIA is “not seeking exclusive use of any premises” and that any rooms not being used in the hotel or guesthouse by the agency can continue to be made commercially available.
‘A stable home’
Concerns have been raised about the level of service provision for those living in RIA-sourced emergency accommodation, however.
Immigrant support centre Nasc has called on RIA to ensure adequate service provision for residents following a number of reports in recent months.
A department spokesperson has said that, although RIA aims to place people in Direct Provision centres, it has not been possible to do so following two recent fires at hotels in Moville, Co Donegal and Roosky on the Roscommon-Leitrim border.
The department has confirmed that it still aims to open both hotels as Direct Provision centres.
It is unclear for how long exactly those who have been relocated from Carrickmacross to emergency accommodation in Co Meath will be there for.
Khambule of MASI has said that “everyone needs a stable home and to live freely wherever they are. That is no different for a person living in Direct Provision”.
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Why would you go to a concert featuring a person who does not like playing to a white audience and as mentioned leaves paying fans waiting for hours,
Lauren Hill has never played a concert without drama
@Mark Allen: you don’t have to go Mark
@Mark Allen: When to see her in Sydney a week ago. Didn’t wait longer than 30 mins for her main stage set and credited the Aus crowd for their involvement. How many times have you seen her?
@Barry Zuckerkorn: Barry don’t worry I won’t be
@Barry Zuckerkorn: Barry don’t worry I won’t be
@Barry Zuckerkorn: Barry don’t worry I won’t be
@Oisín Farrelly: Congrats on enjoying her gig but she did make a statement a few years ago more or less saying she hated people with light skin and that as far as I am aware makes her a racist,so sorry if you feel annoyed but that’s the truth and sometimes the truth hurts
@Mark Allen: “more or less saying…….. as far as I’m aware…….racist………..truth hurts”
@Bryan Yelahw: Cheers Bryan for that link
The Miseducation of Mark Allen
@Mark Allen: to be fair, MANY artists and bands keep audiences waiting for hours.
@Mark Allen: were you at her Dublin gig? Obviously not.No drama.
@Mark Allen: I heard you the 1st time, Jesus
@Mark Allen: you’re always moaning. Just play your snooker
Lauren Hill has a history of making her fans wait 2/3 hrs as she has a history of showing up late – be warned.
@Paul Quirke: she was interviewed on the radio in New York a few yrs back and she stated she didn’t want white people buying her records or listening to her music so you are spot on
@Niamh O Hanlon: she never said that. It’s amazing what people will choose to believe.
Liam’s gig should be at Pairc Hi Chaoimh after the legendary concerts in 96. He would easily sell it out. A pity.
@Padraig: i agree pal as he not playing in dublin..these tickets be like gold dust
@Barry Zuckerkorn: you obviously don’t know what talent is then so…Have seen him in his Oasis days and post Oasis and he always
puts on a hell of a gig along with some great new material! What’s not to like!!!
@Pauly_G_87: his voice is absolutely nackered, he was a great singer twenty years ago, these days he’s just embarrassing
@Anita Ward: let’s not be too dramatic.
@Barry Zuckerkorn: Ed sheeran sold out 3 nights there.. He’s not fit to clean Liams boots.
@Anita Ward: More like dust on top of the old TV in the attic.
@Rob Cahill: As much as I dislike Ed Sheerin, he can write songs, play guitar and actually hold a note. So in terms of talent I’d say Ed has the tambourine man whooped unfortunately, Liam was a good front man 20 years ago. And even then he borrowed heavily from John Lennon and Ian Brown.
@Rob Cahill: I agree
Can’t wait for the spate of “he doesn’t sing correctly and he acts mean in front of the cameras!” comments from people who don’t actually grasp the nuances of what being a rock and roll star are. You can always boogie on down to The Script that night or drop your halfs and gurn away to your proper choons.
The world needs a Liam Gallagher. Just the one, thankfully
@Stu Kent: eh hello? You are the only one making this comment about him. The irony
@Stu Kent: Well said
@Paul Quirke:
Google ‘pre-emptive’ and get cosy with some of the definitions.
@Stu Kent: so he’s just living a stereotype? How sad.
@Stu Kent: the nuances of being a rock & roll star? Sounds more like boy band talk.
@Dave O’Keeffe:
Living a character, I would argue. Something that’s been sorely lacking with guitar bands for years now.
Besides, you say stereotype like it’s a bad thing. Super Mario, Rocky Balboa and Jesus Christ are all stereotypes. We have an affinity towards relatable iconography in entertainment.
Not sure how sad it is to be 25 years into your career and still be a magnet for young lads who want to see music actually being performed live, but whatever. I’m sure you’re into proper stuff.
@Stu Kent: and what is being a rock star? Having any semblance of ability is essential. Liam cannot sing his voice is absolutely shot, he sings through his nose. He has swagger of course, but what use is that on its own. Jim Morrison had a fine voice, jagger still does, elvis was a crooner. Liam is pretty awful
@Stu Kent: nah you just wrong..
I didn’t even know they were going out…
Lauryn Hill is a racist
@Mumpsimus: how is she racist?
@t-rex orange county: she was quoted as saying she would rather see her children starve than have a white person buy her records
@niamh ryan: Misquoted. All she said was she loved her people and would continue making music for them. The rest is lies.
@niamh ryan: was pure lies and MTV denied she said such things.
@Rob Cahill: that was what was widely reported at the time, probably 20 years ago at this stage.
@niamh ryan: You mean the fake quotes?
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-miselucidation-of-lauryn-hill/
It’s amazing how something completely made up over 20 years ago can hang around to this day, like this commenter is unlikely to have have been listening to the Howard Stern show the fake quote came out of which means it’s bounced around for years or even decades with it being assumed to be true.
@Graeme O’Connor: somebody asked why was she racist. I replied as to why people thought she was. I don’t know about the rumor still hanging around, I heard it 20 years ago and have not heard a thing about her since. I was surprised to even read her name. Did a quick google search of her out of interest. Have a look at her open letter on tumblr and then tell me she is not racist. And completely cazy
Liam Gallagher hell yeah,good old rocknroll. Madferit
Has anyone told Lauren hill we are a mostly white country, is she gonna arrive and give us stick for being red headed white leprechauns, they really should make that an announcement when the plane lands
Heard multiple reports that despite all the other stuff about her sentiments towards white people and leaving people waiting in the rain etc, she’s brutal live.
Good, there’s two more dates freed up for me.
Is the event centre ready!!
Laura Hill, they should call her Over the Hill
Went to her concert in Dublin last year and she wasn’t very good, left after 25 minutes, I couldn’t stick it anymore, and I wasn’t the only one leaving early.
Laura Hill, they should call her Over the Hill
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