Minister says reports of poor conditions at refugee centre ‘very concerning’

Reports of poor conditions at a migrant accommodation centre in Co Dublin are “very concerning” and inspections are needed to “rectify the situation”, according to Minister of State for Integration Joe O’Brien.

He was speaking after residents and volunteers at the Crooksling site where asylum seekers are living in tents said the accommodation was “dirty”, “humiliating” and often feels “unsafe”.

The Irish Times reported that despite Government assurances that tents have electricity and heating and the site is regularly cleaned, videos taken by residents show dirty bathrooms and dark, overcrowded and damp tents.

Speaking at an event in Dublin, Mr O’Brien said the centre was checked after it opened and it was “functional after a period of time”.

He said the accounts of the conditions that emerged on Monday are “very, very concerning and we need to get inspectors and officials out there as soon as possible to rectify the situation.

“What was described isn’t an acceptable way and it’s not the standard we expect.”

The Department of Integration has said residents at Crooksling had been provided with “robust, weatherproof tents” which have “both electricity and portable heaters”.

[ Inside Crooksling: ‘Sleep is the only escape’ from the ‘dirty, unsafe’ asylum seeker campsiteOpens in new window ]

Asked about the department’s position Mr O’Brien said: “if you take the report [on conditions at the centre] at face value, and I think we need to do that … We need to examine and look behind at what the reality is there. The standards that were outlined in those reports wouldn’t be up to our standard.”

Separately, Mr O’Brien said a number of providers of accommodation for people fleeing the war in Ukraine have “been engaging in very problematic practices”.

The Department of Integration has appointed forensic accountants amid concerns about “significant fraud” by some providers housing refugees and asylum seekers.

Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman told a Cabinet subcommittee last week his department was concerned about “instances of significant fraud”, including cases where hotels are believed to have claimed payments for people who have moved out of their accommodation.

It is understood that about 75 contracts have already been terminated for compliance reasons.

Health and safety issues as well as overcharging by providers were among compliance issues that have been identified, according to the department.

Mr O’Brien said the department is examining a number of providers, most of whom have been providing accommodation to Ukrainian refugees, “who have been engaging in very problematic practices”.

He said the primary responsibility of the department is “to make sure people are safe”.

Mr O’Brien defended the department when it was suggested to him that there had been a failure of oversight.

“We had tens of thousands of people flowing into the country, fleeing a war in fear of their lives and our primary aim was to get them all shelter. We had to do that fast, it wasn’t done perfectly,” he said.

“And we’re now going through the process of seeing exactly what’s been done over the last two years in terms of the accounting side of things.”

Mr O’Brien was speaking outside the Welcoming New Communities conference in Dublin Castle.

He announced plans to hire an additional 30 community workers to help with the integration of immigrants.

Mr O’Brien said engagement with communities on integration had been a “difficult space”.

He said the new Communities Connection Programme will see the 30 new community workers “on the ground across the country”, with the role involving repairing “division” and building “community resilience against misinformation and prejudice”.