Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 November 2018
157. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if asylum seekers are being housed in a hotel in the Magheracloone area of south County Monaghan; if so, if he will provide details (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48646/18]
View answerThe Reception and Integration Agency of my Department has been encountering significant upward pressure on its accommodation portfolio over the last year or so. This pressure has increased further in the last number of months with an increase in the numbers of persons claiming international protection and a growth in the percentage of protection applicants who require assistance with accommodation.
In order to ensure that the State can continue to provide accommodation for all protection applicants and continue to comply with the EU Reception Directive which was transposed into Irish law in June of this year, RIA has, since September, arranged for the provision of emergency beds where the mainstream accommodation centres were at capacity. RIA is also increasing the capacity of the mainstream system by opening new centres.
In addition to this expansion, one hotel in the Magheracloone area of South Monaghan is currently providing emergency beds for protection applicants. RIA does not have exclusive use of this hotel and it continues to operate as a commercial entity. Applicants are accommodated there for a short period before they are moved into mainstream accommodation system where they will have full access to all the services provided by the State to protection applicants. Staff in my Department are in close contact with the management of the hotel to ensure that emergency needs are met as necessary. On the evening of the 13 November 2018 there were 87 persons residing in this Hotel. This included single males, single females and some families. Of those 87 residents, 18 were under the age of eighteen and were in the care of their parents or guardians.
