Number of tents pitched along Grand Canal rises to 100

There are now 100 tents pitched along the Grand Canal, sheltering unaccommodated International Protection applicants.

The number has been rising steadily since the first tents were pitched between Mount Street Bridge and Huband Bridge on Friday evening, a couple of days after more than 100 tents were removed from around the International Protection Office on Mount Street.

The tents are now pitched just a few hundred yards from where the tents had been on Mount Street.

Almost 300 unaccommodated asylum seekers who had been living in the tents on Mount Street were offered alternative accommodation last week in Citywest and Crooksling in Dublin.

However 1,710 male International Protection applicants who arrived since December are still awaiting an offer of State provided shelter including 150 who arrived in the past week.

Yesterday, Taoiseach Simon Harris said a multi-agency meeting was taking place to discuss the growing number of tents on Dublin’s Grand Canal.

“What happened on Mount Street was allowed to go on for weeks and weeks, and months and months in fact, this will not be the situation in relation to the Grand Canal,” Mr Harris said.

The Taoiseach said he is standing by his “clear commitments in relation to not wanting to see another Mount Street situation develop” and said work is ongoing to find accommodation.

“I am confident that more progress on accommodation will be made in the hours and days ahead,” Mr Harris added.

The chair of the South Georgian Core Residents Association has called for the International Protection Office to be moved out of the city centre.

Kevin Byrne said it clearly cannot operate safely on a city thoroughfare anymore.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme, he said: “It demonstrably can’t handle the inflow it’s getting there or safely provide the supports that are needed. Wrap-around supports are clearly needed. It’s important that security, sanitation and other basic services can be provided.”

He pointed out that families are now processed at Citywest where a range of supports can be offered.

“We think all processes should be moved to a location like that,” he said.

He added that a broken system, that is failing both asylum seekers and residents, cannot be tolerated any longer.