Paschal Donohoe defends Government’s decision to move asylum seekers from Dublin’s ‘tent city’

Paschal Donohoe has defended the Government’s decision to move asylum seekers from Dublin’s “tent city” to an alternative location, despite some of the men returning to sleep on the city’s streets.

The Minister for Public Expenditure said the Government and “country at large” would rather have asylum seekers sleeping in a bed, with sanitation and shelter.

At the weekend, a large group of asylum seekers were moved by authorities from the makeshift camp outside the International Protection Office (IPO) in Dublin to Crooksling in south-west Dublin.

Men who had been camping near the IPO were taken by bus to the site.

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However, some of the men have since returned to the city because of threatening behaviour of people who gathered outside the site.

“Those individuals were moved because we need to find alternative and secure accommodation for them,” Mr Donohoe said on Tuesday.

“Since the start of this year, 2,400 additional beds have been provided to those who are coming to our country seeking refuge.

“The Government, and I believe the country at large, would far rather have people in a bed, with sanitation, with security, with shelter available to them, than sleeping on the streets or in a laneway.

“We are now seeing a surge in migration that is taking place all over Europe at the moment and indeed all over the world, compounded by what is happening in the war in Ukraine.

“The Government’s continued approach will be we want to provide secure alternative accommodation. It’s not always in the location that we would ideally want it to be.”

Mr Donohoe said that a reviewed white paper on accommodation centres for asylum seekers is still in draft format.

He said that plans to open six large-scale accommodation centres are still under way.

It comes as a protest calling on the Government to take action for homeless asylum seekers took place outside the IPO, which has turned into a makeshift camp and where dozens of asylum seekers have been forced to sleep.

United Against Racism, Social Rights Ireland and the End Direct Provision action group took part in the protest, calling for the Government to open empty buildings for homeless asylum seekers.

In a social media post, Social Rights Ireland said: “The housing crisis is gov policy.

“We need wraparound services to support our Irish homeless, not just emergency accommodation.

“Ireland also has long history of emigration. People have left their countries out of total desperation, leaving family and kids.”

At the weekend, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar denied that the decision to move the men was made to avoid “an embarrassment for the Government” close to St Patrick’s Day.

People Before Profit TD Brid Smith has called for urgent questions in the Dail with Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman, about the “disgraceful treatment” of refugees at the IPO at the weekend.

Ms Smith said she has submitted a request to the Oireachtas Business Committee requesting that time is provided on the Dail schedule this week for statements and questions and answers with Mr O’Gorman about the ongoing issue.

Ms Smith said: “There appears to have been a calculated decision to move asylum seekers out of the city centre to a remote location ahead of the St Patrick’s Day Festival.

“On Saturday, asylum seekers were told to board a bus to be brought to new accommodation.

“The bus dropped them at a remote location on the outskirts of Dublin.

“They were given tents and informed that this was their new ’accommodation’. The site at the IPO has been destroyed, with thousands of euros worth of tents and belongings dumped.

“It is outrageous that these vulnerable men are being treated with such contempt by the Government and it is important that time is provided for this urgent matter on the Dail schedule this week.”