Simon Harris, the Taoiseach of Ireland, has given his assurance that asylum seekers won’t be residing in makeshift street tents in Dublin due to a renewed, integrated strategy addressing the situation. The comment came following a recent operation where over 160 individuals living in tents along the Grand Canal were relocated to areas equipped with food and hygiene stations.
With rising numbers of individuals seeking international shelter, the government is grappling with finding ample housing. A similar relocation mission was implemented last week for individuals residing in tents around Dublin’s International Protection Office on Mount Street.
About 163 individuals were transported to southwest Dublin’s Crooksling and Dundrum’s former Central Mental Hospital site. The collaborative effort involved the Department of Integration, Garda, Dublin City Council, and other agencies.
Harris lauded the operation, calling it a prime example of agencies uniting towards a common purpose and achieving tangible progress. He added that the key to dealing with issues that might crop up is the persistence of this inter-agency collaboration.
Harris will lead a meeting later today with departments responsible for migration and sheltering. He voiced his intention for better visibility and planning when it comes to housing asylum seekers, but also acknowledged the likelihood of the need for outdoor sanitation and toilet facilities in the future. However, he differentiated this from illegal encampments that pose health and safety hazards.
He stated unequivocally that the government will not tolerate situations like those experienced on Mount Street or the Grand Canal, which have been ongoing for extended periods of weeks or months. The unity of the government on this issue is unshakeable, he underlined.
Mr Harris expressed the need for suitable sites for people to erect their tents, complete with sanitation facilities. He insisted on the importance of upholding the human rights and dignity of newcomers to the country, while simultaneously ensuring that our land’s laws – against random tent pitching – are not breached.
He emphasised his awareness of the challenges ahead, saying, “I appreciate the complexities of this situation and understand that issues will inevitably emerge.
“However,” he stressed, “what’s changed now is we won’t allow these problems to smoulder unnoticed and persist indefinitely – we plan to maintain this proactive approach moving forward.”