A significant 80% of dwellers at a provision centre in Co Meath, being monitored by Hiqa, have gained refugee status but are yet to find alternative housing arrangements, according to an inspection evaluation. Inside Mosney international protection centre, it was revealed that of the 875 occupants, 702 had been given either refugee or subordinate protection status.
Despite this, a large number of these residents, 250 to be precise, have been issued notices to vacate by July 2024 and must locate private lodgings outside the centre.
Since September 2022, the Department of Integration dispatched 3,004 letters to individuals authorised to stay in Ireland but are yet to settle in private residences, urging them to find another place to stay.
Unfortunately, as pinpointed by the inspection report, some residents confessed they were caught between a rock and a hard place. Alternative accommodation is scarce, thereby hindering their chances of finding more suitable lodging, generating anxiety among them.
In addition, seven more inspection reports were issued on Wednesday, among which was a subsequent inspection of St Patrick’s Centre in Co Monaghan. In contrast to the earlier visit, the centre showed “considerable betterment”, resulting from a radical alteration in service provision, stimulated by findings from the former evaluation in January 2024. The remaining centres demonstrated scant or non-existence of non-compliance, according to a Hiqa statement.
The inspections, furthermore, identified commendable practices in areas like meal prep facilities, assistance with community integration, and availability of educational, health, and social services. A notable accomplishment was observed at one centre where a support assembly for female refugees and migrants was established and one of their members was considered for an award in dedication to voluntary community service.
However, it wasn’t all rosy, as there were instances of ‘low-level’ non-compliance in certain establishments, principally in relation to Garda background checks for staff members. At St Patrick’s in Co Monaghan, however, the management was unable to guarantee the safety and effectiveness of the centre’s employment processes.
The report highlighted that four personnel had not been subjected to recent Garda vetting, and lacking international police clearances for two employees.
In the Dublin-based Basin Lodge, it was revealed that Garda vetting had not fulfilled for a fraction of the team members.
Furthermore, the Temple Accommodation Centre in Westmeath had no international police record checks filed for those employees who lived or worked overseas for a period longer than six months.
Although all the employees had offical vetting from the Garda, the service provider could not ensure that all auxiliary workers at the centre were also adequately checked. In the wake of the inspection, a prompt compliance order was issued to tackle these issues, as noted in the Hiqa report.