Concern raised as asylum seekers are housed in 'cold and damp' tents

Concern has been expressed over the moving of 80 international protection applicants into tented accommodation this week. 

Refugee and migrant rights organisation Doras expressed concern about the applicants being moved into tents in Knockalisheen, Co Clare this week.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth descried the move as a "short-term measure". 

“This is disappointing, given Minister O’Gorman’s assurances in December that tented accommodation would cease to operate,” said Doras CEO John Lannon.

“Less than 4 weeks later they’re back in operation. As a result, it’s very difficult to be optimistic about the government’s response to the need to provide stable and safe accommodation for refugees,” he said.

“We’ve seen the tents. They’re cold and damp. People have to go outside to get to the toilets. They certainly don’t meet people’s basic needs. And it’s quite unreasonable to put people in such conditions, especially people who have health or other vulnerabilities.

“Knockalisheen doesn’t have the capacity to deal with the additional numbers. There aren’t even enough laundry machines or dryers. This means that every asylum seeker living there are affected by the increased numbers," Mr Lannon said.

"The tents are not suitable accommodation at any time but in winter they can become quite unbearable," Mr Lannon said. 

“When people were moved into the tents at Knockalisheen last September they were told it would only be for a few weeks, and yet they were still there when the temperatures hit minus five degrees in December. We hope we don’t see a repeat of this, and that people are moved to more appropriate accommodation within a matter of days," Mr Lannon said. 

"The use of tented accommodation cannot become a new norm or in any way acceptable as a means of accommodating asylum seekers,” Mr Lannon said. 

A statement from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has described the number of applications as the “largest humanitarian effort in the State’s history”.

A spokesperson added they “endeavour to ensure that the use of tents at Knockalisheen is a short-term measure.”

According to the Department, as of January 2, Ireland is now accommodating over 71,255 International Protection Applicants. Because of the accommodation shortage, they added that their priority “must remain on providing shelter.”

Commenting on the other tented operations in Athlone and Tralee which have previously been closed, the Department said they “will remain decommissioned and will not return to use.”