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MIGRANT RIGHTS CENTRE NASC has criticised a lack of inspections of hotels and B&Bs housing asylum seekers in Ireland and called for greater scrutiny by the Department of Justice & Equality.
Asylum seekers have been placed in hotels and B&Bs due to difficulties opening new Direct Provision centres since September 2018.
Ireland’s 39 Direct Provision centres are subject to inspections by The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), or RIA as it was previously titled.
Hotels and B&Bs contracted by the Department since September 2018 do not fall within this framework.
A spokesperson for The Department told TheJournal.ie that many of the properties used continue to operate as commercial hotels and guesthouses.
CEO of NASC Fiona Finn told TheJournal.ie: “Although it may be legally permissible to make distinctions between Emergency Accommodation and Direct Provision centres, Emergency Accommodation cannot continue to operate in a vacuum without any oversight.”
Last week, a video circulated of alleged overcrowding at the East End Hotel in Portarlington, Co Laois.
In response, and after contacting the hotel’s management, the Department of Justice said the video appeared “to have been staged”.
The Department later defended the numbers sleeping in a different room the East End Hotel after the initial video circulated.
‘Ongoing Difficulties’
There are currently over 1,500 international protection applicants – including 274 children – living in emergency accommodation with 37 hotels and B&Bs contracted by IPAS/RIA to provide bed and board.
The Department of Justice has paid over €29 million to private businesses providing emergency accommodation since last year.
The average daily rate paid to Direct Provision centre operators is €35 per night, according to the Department. The average cost for emergency accommodation is €100 per person per night, TheJournal.ie recently reported.
Over the past year, a number of issues for those living in hotels and B&Bs have been reported by TheJournal.ie including difficulties accessing GP services, delays in PPS numbers being allocated in order to receive weekly payment, lack of educational access for children and unsuitable accommodation.
Criticism has been levelled at a lack of vulnerability assessments for people entering the country before being moved directly to emergency accommodation. These assessments aim to identify specific reception needs for people.
Remote – and at times strict – accommodation setups have been highlighted to RIA by the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI).
TheJournal.ie reported ongoing difficulties for people living at The Clayton Hotel in Dublin.
Emails released under FOI show that in May, the Department of Social Welfare and Protection (DEASP) alerted the Justice Department to a visit paid by staff to the Dunkerrin Arms in Co Offaly.
The hotel was contracted by IPAS/RIA to provide accommodation to asylum seekers but when DEASP staff arrived they deemed the hotel closed.
“When they arrived… it was boarded up with no staff present,” an email sent to RIA states.
Hotel staff eventually arrived and opened the hotel. The DEASP reported it had “serious concerns” about the premises but after improvements, RIA took the decision to not move asylum seekers living there.
‘Inspections’
Last year, the Government published the National Standards for people in the International Protection process which included the establishment of an Independent Inspectorate for Direct Provision centres.
Inspections by IPAS staff take place on a pre-arranged basis at Ireland’s 39 centres.
According to a Justice Department spokesperson, the Government is “committed to a robust Independent Inspection process to monitor and ensure compliance with the Standards following their implementation.”
They added that it had yet to be finalised how this Inspectorate will operate.
Nasc’s Finn said that these National Standards were finalised before the use of Emergency Accommodation.
Said Finn: “This is especially concerning as people are now spending longer and longer periods of time in Emergency Centres where their reception rights are not guaranteed.
“Clear safeguards should be put in place, including an Independent Inspectorate in any setting where vulnerable people are being accommodated.”
The Department spokesperson said that opening new Direct Provision centres in 2020 will “minimise or eliminate” the use of Hotels and B&Bs.
They added that it does not expect inspections of Emergency Accommodation to take place.
“The question of [National] Standards applying to Emergency Accommodation locations is, therefore, not expected to arise when the Standards become subject to monitoring in January 2021,” they said.
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Eileen I have to agree with Lauren for the simple reason…..that she’s smoking hot.
Naw, fake tan and stretched plastic looking.
Well done once again to the bomb squad , amazing work !
One wonders though how long the Ministers of Justice and Defense are going to allow this increasingly dangerous situation to continue?
What would you propose they do? Set up search check points at every cross roads in the country?
What do you suggest Lauren ?
The Gardai and Army HAVE access to more information than you or I . The thing is there is only so much that so few manpower can do. There should be more Gardai .The Gardai and Army bomb disposal teams do great work and I am not criticising them , but the politicians who have reduced their numbers should be held accountable . It is worth noting that any number of Gardai can be summoned to Mayo , yet there are viable exploding devices being found , but who is panting them ??? . The Banks have access to Gardai and Army to protect their money in transit …..
As it happens Eileen the banks have to pay for the gardai and army when they need cash escorts
What would you propose we pay all this extra man power with? gratitude?
So the banks pay for private security from State police . Says it all there. By the way I have the utmost of respect for te majority of Gardai. They like the prison service have a thankless job. Maybe it is about time for the banks to pay for their own private security and this in turn would free up gardai and army personnel to carry out duties for the state and the citizens. Shell should also employ more security if they feel so much at risk. You seem to be very defensive. I have good time for the work of the gardai .
Gratitutde does not put food on the table so are you telling us here that shell and the banks pay Garda salaries ? Are you seriously implying that only for Shell and the banks Gardai would not be paid ? Lauren , maybe you should retract your comments , because what you are saying is actually accusing the government of offering preferential treatment and service for money …… I do not think the Gardai will like that .
How are finding life on the outside Larry? I thought you were in hiding.
Free travel. I can pop up anywhere.
Lucky for Lauren she’s not your type so.
Let’s not trivialise the greatest risk to the Irish State since the so ceasefire in Northern Ireland. Increased terrorist activity across the Border including shots being fired at PSNI last month and this sad total of 123 call outs with more than fifty viable devices in the Republic this year alone. This is alarming
and even more so when the National Press is ignoring the matter. Perhaps we should read something into the obvious lack of coverage and also lack of comment from the Department of Justice or Defence.
Mick Collins,
There are more Garda Stations to be closed next year and there is a green paper on Defence due for budget time there is another 12.5 billion euro to be taken out of this economy by the end of 2015, our troika masters have spoken and so it shall be.
Jesus, they call out BDU so often they have to replace the tires on the robot every year.
I believe it is ex-IRA members who are selling there wares and expertise on to criminal gangs now that the WAR! Is over….a leopard never changes it’s spots!!
They (guards) know who planted it,they know who it was intended for (local traveller fued). There’s a (want to be) traveller crime family intimidating the local wealthier families for land and cash and the guards can’t do anything about it. This is the third device that they’ve been called out too in rathkeale. The first one exploded when it was thrown into a house and the second failed to detonate.
Makes me wonder what kind of person is doing this. Is there an agenda? Making bombs for the craic because they can? Like hackers and their bragging rights. Just looking for attention. Hard to know. All these bombs being found yet none have gone off. Very strange.
Yes they have gone off…with one removing the hand of a young boy in Wicklow! A Nation Once Again,,me arse!
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