Hundreds of people who had been living in tents on Mount Street in Dublin city have been moved to Citywest and to Crooksling tented accommodation in Co Dublin, the Government has said.
A multi-agency operation took place today to dismantle the encampment in the city centre, which was completed this morning.
The Government said that 285 single male applicants were offered accommodation today. Of those, 186 applicants were accommodated in Citywest and a further 99 were accommodated at Crooksling.
Volunteers say a number of men are reported to be without accommodation and that a small number of them are sleeping on the streets.
It is understood a number of the men who were accommodated in Crooksling made their own way to Citywest today before being turned away or sent back to Crooksling.
The Government said that the accommodation at Citywest is “now at capacity” and that people’s “details have been taken and they will be offered accommodation as it becomes available”.
Asylum seekers had been sleeping rough outside the International Protection Office on Mount Street after the Government stopped providing State accommodation to International Protection applicants.
This morning’s operation was carried out by the Department of Integration, the Department of Justice, gardaí, Dublin City Council, the Office of Public Works and the HSE.
A statement from the Government said that this morning’s operation was to facilitate the “safe movement” of people from tents.
The Crooksling site has “robust, weather-proof tents”, the statement said, adding that it has toilets and showers, health services, indoor areas where food is provided, facilities to charge phones and personal devices, access to transport to and from Dublin city centre and 24-hour onsite security, the statement added.
While in Crooksling accommodation, residents will receive the same supports as at other locations, including customer services team clinics, onsite support and psycho-social and integration support from NGO partners, the statement added.
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Taoiseach Simon Harris thanked the multiple State agencies involved in what he described as a “humanitarian operation“.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald described the move as “long overdue” and said that the Government’s pledge that the encampment will not be repeated again has to be “honoured.”
Speaking to RTÉ’s Six One News, she questioned how the situation had been allowed to continue for so long, saying it: “begs questions of the Government’s approach to the whole immigration issue.”
Minister For Trade, Enterprise and Employment Peter Burke said the people are being moved to facilities where they will have “all the wrap-around services”.
Businesses in the area remained open during this morning’s operation although trade today was quiet.
There are barriers in place near the International Protection Office to prevent an encampment returning.
The operation comes as conditions for people living in tents have become “unlivable”, the co-founder of the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland said.
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Encampment not allowed return
Yesterday, the Taoiseach said that once asylum seekers sleeping on the street are given accommodation, the encampment will not be allowed to return.
He was replying to Labour leader Ivana Bacik in the Dáil, who said it was “absolutely scandalous” that the former Baggot Street hospital site was empty when people were living in tents on Mount Street without access to sanitation.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the Government had been working “day and night” to provide accommodation for those seeking International Protection and homeless people.
Second effort to remove camp this year
There have been previous efforts to move those living in the area around the International Protection Offices on Mount Street to alternative accommodation.
On 16 March, about 150 asylum seekers were moved to emergency accommodation at Crooksling.
Then-taoiseach Leo Varadkar said at the time that they were moved because there were no sanitary facilities or showers at Mount Street.
Volunteers had warned of a humanitarian crisis in the camp because of a lack of basic sanitation facilities.
However, a number of people left the Crooksling site on the day they arrived and returned to the Mount Street area, claiming that the new location was “too remote” and sanitary facilities that were promised “didn’t work”.
Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman denied claims that the people were moved due to the St Patrick’s Festival.
Additional reporting Mícheál Lehane, Eleanor Burnhill
