GORMANSTON TENTED ACCOMMODATION in Meath is set to open on Monday as the government struggles to accommodate tens of thousands of refugees.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio’s News at One Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman said it was unfortunate that newly-arrived refugees fleeing war in Ukraine and asylum seekers from other countries had to stay overnight in Dublin Airport.

“There are a number of camp beds and blow up beds there. But you know, no one is saying this is where we want to keep refugees, to keep asylum seekers, so that’s why we’re moving people on from there as quickly as we can,” O’Gorman said.

The DAA has made the Old Central Terminal building available to refugees, which hosted 40 people last night.

“We have moved over 100 people already this morning, I’d say right now there’s about 30 there. We’re trying to avoid anybody staying more than one night in the airport,” the minister added.

Another significant challenge for the government’s ability to house refugees is expected to come at the end of the summer when student accommodation used by Ukrainians will need to be vacated to allow students to return.

“We’ve always indicated that the the ending of the use of student accommodation would be a challenge for us,” he continued.

In the past week the Citywest Hotel in Dublin, leased by the government for two years to accommodate 2,300 Ukrainian refugees, reached capacity.

“Our core focus now is to reduce numbers in City West. And following the Cabinet meeting last night, some additional university accommodation was located.”

The tented camp in Gormanston Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth

Gormanston tent camp began construction in March as a last resort but will house 300 people as soon as Monday as “temporary accommodation,” O’Gorman said.

He added that the number of refugees ebbed and flowed over the past few months, reaching a peak in April and falling until the end of June before increasing again.

“What we have seen is maybe over the last six weeks, an increase in Ukrainians again and I think that is probably linked to the targeting of civilian areas by the Russian government,” the minister said.

O’Gorman added that a recent increase in asylum seekers from countries other than Ukraine could be due to legislation in the United Kingdom which would seek to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Host Brian Dobson interjected saying that the UN High Commission for Refugees’ representative in Ireland has said that they haven’t seen any strong evidence to suggest that the Rwanda policy is a factor and that deportations to Rwanda haven’t started yet.

“Our sense is that the the change of approach by the UK Government is is having an impact,” O’Gorman responded.

He also highlighted other government moves to increase the supply of accommodation, such as the Department of Housing making refurbished units available, with 300 to 500 spaces becoming ready from next week. 

“The Office of Public Works is also doing a partnership with my department in terms of the provision of 500 units of modular accommodation across the country. And that’s accommodation that can be constructed at a much more much more rapid pace, and will hopefully deliver some of those first units in November of this year,” he said.