More tents at Grand Canal SCRAPPED as 89 asylum seekers given alternative accommodation

More tents have been removed from the Grand Canal area after 89 international protection applicants were offered alternative accommodation this morning (May 21). 

According to RTÉ, barricades have been erected along the canal in Dublin following a clean-up operation which began at 7.30am. 

It comes after a number of beds became available in IPAS-designated accommodation in recent days, which resulted in offers of accommodation being issued by email to 89 asylum seekers. 

The offers of accommodation were confirmed by a Government spokesperson, who stated, "International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) continue to work towards ensuring that the limited available bed space for International Protection applicants is prioritised for those most in need, including those who are found to be rough sleeping." 

According to RTÉ, most men sleeping in the area had been given tents by agencies due to a lack of State accommodation. 

This morning's operation is the third time tents have been cleared from the Grand Canal area in the past month. 

Social media users have criticised the government for their handling of the situation, with some mentioning the waste of tents being dumped unnecessarily. 

One X (formerly Twitter) user commented, "Simply kicking the can down the road and not actually addressing the issue." 

Another commented, "Oh good, more money wasted by the government to remove the tents only for them to pay for more tents for the next load of IPAs to set up at another spot in town. This government is an absolute farce." 

Another comment reads, "Disgraceful amount of waste between tents etc and our money. How many tents have gone to landfill in the last few weeks?" 

Following the creation of the first camp on the Grand Canal, Taoiseach Simon Harris spoke to Virgin Media News and promised the encampments would not be "allowed to fester". 

He said, "We're working on accommodation on a daily basis, on a several times a day basis, and I do expect to see more responses coming on stream. We will not have a situation where these encampments will be allowed to fester, go on for weeks and weeks and months and months as was the case on Mount Street, that's not acceptable to me. 

"But yes issues will arise, tents will appear, and the government will work with agencies on a multi-agency approach [sic] to resolve these issues and that's what we're about." 

Header image: Screenshot/X/Niall O'Hara