Lack of communication criticised over asylum seeker accommodation

A LOCAL politician has criticised a lack of communication from the Government in relation to asylum seeker accommodation in Cookstown Industrial Estate in Tallaght.

As reported in The Echo last week, up to 200 asylum seekers will be housed in a former office building in the industrial estate, which was recently refurbished for residential use.

The asylum seekers are single males, and they will be accommodated across three floors in 102 bedrooms or ‘accommodation pods’ containing two standard beds and storage furniture.

A total of 42 toilets and 16 showers are located within the building and will be available all day long with an on-site laundry facility, according to the Department of Integration.

The residents will be provided with vouchers to purchase food which they can prepare in the 16 self-catering kitchen units on site.

The dining area has a capacity of 96 and will be available 24/7 for common seating at the disposal of all residents.

There will be 24/7 security in the building, and there will be two duty managers on site daily, and a 24/7 on-call manager for the facility.

The Department has described the accommodation as being temporary emergency accommodation, but in a document seen by The Echo, it stated that a timeline for the duration of the accommodation being in use is not possible.

“It is not possible to say with certainty what the length of stay will be having regard to the ongoing crisis is the numbers of IP [International Protection] applicants arriving and the scarcity of more appropriate accommodation,” stated the Department.

Local Fianna Fáil councillor Charlie O’Connor claimed that there has been a lack of communication between the Department and local councillors and members of the community about the facility.

“The communication has been pretty poor from the Department,” he said. “I said from the beginning, when I started hearing about this, that proper consultation should’ve taken place.

“That didn’t happen, and that has raised concerns in the community. All of the local representatives should have been properly briefed on this.

“I think it would’ve been better if the Department had provided information about this to public representatives, and directly to the local community.”

In a briefing note, the Department explained the lack of communication with people in the community by stating: “The emergency nature of the response required means that advance communications are not as comprehensive or as early as we would like.

“Every effort is made to notify public representatives and State agencies in advance.”