The Dominick Street Complex comprises 30 apartments and 5 townhouses. Accommodation varies from 1-2 bedrooms with fully equipped kitchens, living rooms and bathrooms and on-site Wi-Fi. The units will be occupied over the coming weeks with families moving in over this period. One family will be accommodated in each unit, and there is a maximum capacity of 139 people in total.
An initial two-year contract has been agreed between my Department and Keldesso Limited (the service provider). The service provider will be responsible for the maintenance and security of the premises, which will be subject to unannounced inspections by officials of my Department.
All units are own-door and fully self-contained. They will facilitate independent living for residents, in line with the National Standards for accommodation centres published last year. This means that all residents will have cooking facilities and an in-house food hall where they can get their groceries using a cashless system. The residents will not pay for utilities, bins or heating.
In addition, there is a communal area on the ground floor of the apartments with a reception office and multi-functional meeting rooms for residents. This will include an indoor children’s play facility, a library and a games room for teenagers.
The children of international protection applicants are educated within the mainstream education system and can access free primary and post-primary education in the same way as other children in Ireland. The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme, administered by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, provides early childhood care and education for children of pre-school age including the children of international protection applicants.
