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LAST UPDATE | 4 Jan 2020
THE DEPARTMENT OF Justice has said that a video clip appearing to show ten beds in one room at a Direct Provision centre has been “appears to have been staged”.
The video clip was sent to Newstalk reporter Barry Whyte, who claimed that the video is of a room in a centre in Portarlington being used as emergency accommodation for asylum seekers.
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said earlier that he was “concerned” at the content of the video clip but in a statement this afternoon the department has said that the video “does not represent the reality at this facility”.
The centre being used as the emergency accommodation facility is the East End Hotel in Portarlington.
“Hotel management has informed the Department that last night, a number of residents moved themselves from their assigned rooms into the room shown in the video, ” the Department of Justice said this afternoon.
The footage circulating appears to have been staged and the residents involved have been asked to return to their allocated rooms.
“Similar claims were made about the accommodation in the hotel last Autumn and subsequent Department inspections confirmed that the accommodation arrangements at the hotel had been misrepresented in a staged video at that time,” the department added.
“The Department is available at all times to address any concerns that residents have. It should be noted that applicants availing of accommodation services may also avail of the services of the Ombudsman who the department works with to resolve any issues that arise.”
Specifically addressing the number of international protection applicants in the East End Hotel, the department says that the centre is “providing accommodation for 71 asylum seekers across a total of 19 bedrooms on an emergency basis”.
“No room being utilised by the department in the hotel has an occupancy greater than six persons,” the department adds.
In 2018, A Standards Advisory Group drafted national standards for those living in State-provided accommodation, suggesting that a minimum space of 4.65m² for each resident per bedroom is required.
These standards will be legally binding by January 2021. In the interim, contractors will be expected carry out any works required to meet the standards.
Over half of all Direct Provision residents have access to cooking facilities. The aim is to give all residents in commercial centres access to cooking facilities or an onsite food hall by the middle of this year.
After the video was shared yesterday, Fianna Fáil senator Catherine Ardagh said it was “outrageous”.
“Can’t believe the DOJ responsible here,” she tweeted, “Charlie Flanagan this needs to be shut down.”
Minister Flanagan said that he was “concerned at the content of this video clip”, and has “sought a report on this matter from the appropriate authorities”.
There are clear standards in respect of accommodation that should be upheld and complied with at all times.
There are currently over 6,000 people living in 39 Direct Provision centres around Ireland. Since 25 March 2019, adults receive a weekly allowance of €38.80, and children get €29.80.
- With reporting by Rónán Duffy
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Not too concerned about our own homeless people though!
@Bull McCabe: wrong article
@Camacsaint: Really?
@Bull McCabe: not concerned at all…
@Bull McCabe: The minister can’t win, the Government can’t win.
Please let’s show a little appreciation for the efforts of these politicians. They don’t have a magic wand to solve all problems. They are human.
@Jacob: He’s concerned that someone squealed on the system, what if others post on social media.
Can’t look after them, can’t let Europe know, shoot the messenger!
@Bull McCabe: feck off bull
@Bull McCabe: what if I told you that you could walk and chew gum at the same time? Crazy stuff, I know.
@Bull McCabe: Charlie takes his orders from the Zionist Federation of Britain and Ireland, as does the degenerate Varadkar.
@Bull McCabe: What have you done for the homeless you claim to care for?
I wonder had Charlie has any comment to make about the serious assault on teenage boys by some of the adults from this center on new years eve.
Did he the the Red Cow video clip?
@Mark Edwards: You are not allowed to mention that. Keep saying to yourself that “It didn’t happen”. That is how things roll at the top table of power in this place.
@Mark Edwards: Identical incident in Harcourt street and similar in the square shopping center over Christmas not to mention city west.
@Mark Edwards: seen some of it thought it was in africa….
Look Charlie,
No need to look for a report. Get into your flipping car and go down and see for yourself. Problem solved in 4 hours max.
@Martin Stapleton: Spot on Martin
@Martin Stapleton: ah but a ‘report’ means that people have to brought in to compile it -that means paying one of ffg associates a heap of money -they have to keep the boyo’s in work now ! and reports can lead to ‘boards of enquiry’ which means even more money for even more of the ffg boyo’s to get their grubby little mitts on -and dont forget that would also mean more cash for the legal eagles –its not about ‘direct provision -its not about conditions in direct provision – its about splashing the cash for their cohorts and ffg mates !
@Martin Stapleton: he lives 11 miles from the centre and must be very embarrassed as it’s in his constituency and he should know what’s going on there at least
@Martin Stapleton: he lives 20 minutes from the accomadation
Who or which companies are getting the vast majority of cash for this service.
I hope there is appropriate tendering for the contracts.
Follow the money trail as I think it is leading to another trough or two.
@Camacsaint: There is tendering for the process. And it is open. That ain’t the issue. The issue is that there is no alternative. Of course there wouldn’t need to be an alternative if there wasn’t such a long delay.
Charlie cares more about the illegals than he does about Irish homeless people.
So what they have better conditions than homeless people in wet, cold, dirty doorways. 90% of asylum claims are bogus so send them back now to their “war ravished” Countries.
Tell that clown to take a walk around our cities at 7 am and see the cramped conditions of people living in shop doorways. Is there even one competent minister in this FG circus.
It’s not perfect but some of these people are being murdered/ raped/ tortured in their own shirtshole countries so it is a massive improvement for them and a few bob in their pocket. We do need too prioritize our own citizens first.
@Alan Kelly: its certainly not perfect and some of these people arent being persecuted or in danger in their own country at all.
@Alan Kelly: Honestly, it reminds me of the bedsit I shared with 5 other Irish guys 40 years ago, when we were all working on building sites or hotels, and the strange thing is, we all got on just fine?
@Dom Layzell: very true
@Dom Layzell: some craic In that house I’d say
@Dom Layzell: great. Let’s all rewind time and go and live in 1980 again. Cramped living conditions, in Ireland no abortion, divorce or gay marriage, a right wing theocracy. Sounds grand. Bring the family while you are at it. Make it unbearable. Great craic.
@alan: Thanks Alan, but the Bed sit wasn’t in Ireland, but Irish fellas like me that had to Fcuk off and work abroad! So I have enough of your preaching about your Great craic & no abortions. I left then and after one thing and another, got Married, have a family, & still didn’t go back to live. Not because I would have a problem with that, but that’s life. & If it’s any good, I’ll give you a bit of advise, I’ve travelled a lot, seen a lot of Irish all over the World. & Ireland lost the best of it’s people through immigration, which is tragic for the country and the Irish economy.
Not concerned about cramped hotel rooms or Irish people sleeping on the streets
What about those who haven’t a roof over their head?
@Front Line (Retd): Nobody cares because there Irish
The residents in Portarlington are well fed and looked after. Which can’t be said of a lot of Irish people.
Can never do it straight and provide the service is key delivery. Threw money at people with accommodation properties and wonder why they’re inhumane. They process itself should be 6 months, what happens, years here, kids here, then refused asylum and kids here for years. In and out in 6 months or remain conditional until 2 years pass.
@Albert Brennerman: I agree that the core issue is delay. That’s where the focus should be. DP is a symptom not the cause.
@John R: vet them as they arrive in the country refs from the last country in Europe as to the way they out there actions there weed out the the ones who have no need to be in Europe full stop. Or pump money in to dp centres in safe zones in there own country.
Flanagan go down yourself and have a look. You’d no problem turning up a DP centre when you were promoting Verona Murphy in the hope of winning a Dail seat for the blueshirts.
I suppose the war torn countries they left are providing 4 star accommodation. I rather be safe in their than in a tent in the middle of Syria for example.
That’s not one bit cramped compared to the Peter McVerry Trust homeless services, except they prefer bunk beds. That’s actually very spacious right there in comparison.
They would have 22 in that room, all on bunk beds
Even the original room with 10 beds didn’t look that bad under the circumstances and comparison to what they have left behind. Delighted to see that 6 is maximum. I wonder was it staged by some anti- govt left wing political group.At least it has got people discussing the issue.there are students and families living in similar conditions all over the country.
Sick of hearing about refugees and provision centres and how hard done by there are they lived in tents back home now they have a roof over there heads cooking areas free health care dole and tbh don’t seem short of money with there 800e iphones 5000e cars and opening shops all over Ireland with prime rents Charlie Flanagan is a liar he is racist to the homeless crisis and need him and fg/ff out of power now. No mench of hardcore street and the red cow tallaght square knife and gangs of them going around robbing young kids. This is Charlie Flanagan diversity. NO THANKS. send them home.
@Calo J Callaghan: What was all that?
Are we the only country that’s in a mess with regards to direct provision
@FlopFlipU: most countries don’t have a severe lack of housing for their own population, so asylum seekers are provided with adequate accommodation
@FlopFlipU: Take a look to what countries like Australia do first. You may very well reassess your attitude.
@FlopFlipU: have you the same attitude to climate change? Sure look at other countries.. we may as well do nothing so, is that right?
@Alan Wright: my point is if they have a better system .Well let’s replicate it
@Alan Wright: are they part of Europe
@milton friedman: That’s simply not true. Virtually every rich country has a problem with housing. And most asylum seekers in European states face far worse than DP. Far worse.
@Alan Wright: Oz doesn’t have any commitment under EU agreements. Obviously.
@Alan Wright: I never knew that Australia was part of Europe
Charlie is a p.o.s.
Beggars cant be choosers
But look at how much the owners are being paid for this level of “accommodation”. They’re hardly beggars – they can well afford to bring the standards up to, say, the average prison. It looks like something out of Strumpet City TBH.
What a bunch of ungrateful people…
What happened to eire
Overcrowding in emergency homelessness accommodation is on a worse scale….dormitories with up-to 30 sleeping at a time…staff strictly monitor anyone attempting to record conditions with threat of being thrown out back onto streets…..hence the numbers opting to sleep rough instead….
Put them on a flight back to where they originated from
“Ireland of the welcomes-unless of course you’re Irish. Sad state of affairs.
Sure if it’s not up to their high standard of expectation why don’t they simply just go home. The saying beggars can’t be choosers is not exclusively for the Irish.
Irish homeless are out in the street..??
@Marianne: no, homeless are those in emergency accommodation, rough sleepers are those out of the sleep.
Knew about this last October nothing done an other report was promised. Not done another reported promised Charlie why not pick up the phone
That’s rich coming from the champions of spin.
It’s a bit like the cash for ash thing inThe north the more the hotel can take in the more money it can make ..but with a human cost at the end ..wonder how the owners are and do they have many places like this
@Michael Nolan: Not true actually. The same health and safety regulations apply to DP as they do anywhere else. They also have to obtain a fire certificate like anywhere else. Let’s see what emerges from this story.
@John R: the photo says otherwise not arguing with u but.same old shit same old Ireland.same people screwing the system..
Its staged no clothes no evidence of ppl living in that room just beds in a room
In previous centuries the state was responsible for the institutionalization of thousand of the less fortunate, in industrial schools, Magdalen laundries etc, we are still dealing with the fallout from what happened to those people and the abuses perpetrated etc, DP is the 21 century version of this, have we learned nothing ?
@padr4: Oh give it a rest and try to not repeat nonsense points from the taking heads. This is not remotely like the Magdalene Laundries. Firstly, nobody forced asylum seekers into DP. They are there because they cannot provide accommodation for themselves. Secondly, they’re free to come and go as they please. Thirdly, they are in a legal process to determine their legal status None of the above applied to the women forced into the Laundries. False analogies like the one you’re peddling do a disservice to the Magdalene atrocity and those who suffered. It’s a false self serving narrative.
The key issue here is not DP. It is decision delay which, strangely, you don’t seem worried about. Stop moralising and analyse instead.
@John R: If you read what I actually said rather than try to put words in my mouth I said said DP was a 21 century version of what happened in the past , ie; the state undertakes to provide for those who cannot do so for themselves, ie; institutionalization, an open prison in effect, In the last century industrial schools & Magdalen laundries were described as imperfect but necessary , just the same as the Govt & the media describe DP today.But as this article shows it`s not working, how long before the people who have to endure these inhumane conditions take action against the Irish govt because of their treatment, which is what we are still dealing with from the past as I pointed out to you earlier, So you give it a rest!
What’s the local council doing about this …fire safety …over crowding .. do they even care or is it something else
A pure joke !!!
Nothing like a DP story to trigger the foaming racists!
@BillyCroft: you having a laff at our expense how is it racist to catch people out the put there beds in to one room and made faults allegations about the care they received from that hotel and the people who pay tax to put them there. How is it racist to no want theses sort of people here scamming the state making up lies about there care if they don’t like the way we do things iam very sure it would not be very hard to get sent back home as this is not there home and never will be. Fact so stop with your racist card shit everytime something do go your way they fraudulently new what they we doing and it backfired on them because and racist is all you can throw at it. Shame on you.
@Calo J Callaghan: Again, what??
Like the sneachta and the protests.
20 trolleys with sick people in a hospital corridor { non story} either.
Anna69 would sort out Direct Provision in no time..
have your say