AROUND 1,000 ASYLUM seekers will be accommodated in tented accommodation at Thornton Hall by the end of June, The Journal understands.
It was announced recently the the 156-acre site, owned by the Department of Justice, will be utilised for “emergency-style” tents due to the ongoing accommodation crisis.
It is understood that five acres of the site will initially be assigned for tented-village style accommodation.
While a briefing note distributed to local politicians in recent days said the exact number of beds to be provided is currently under review, it is understood the ballpark figure the government is looking to accommodate in the short-term is 1,000 people.
Initially, it was believed it would only be tented accommodation on the site, however Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman said rapid build modular units will most likely replace tented accommodation in the longer term.
Separately, it is now believed that 25 acres of the site is being assessed for a permanent structure to house asylum seekers.
Before a reception centre would be built on the site, it would be subject to a number of assessments and would be a long time away, it is understood.
A fully catered service will provide three meals daily for asylum seekers staying at Thornton Hall, which will be fully serviced with adequate showers and toilets.
Taoiseach Simon Harris has previously said Thornton Hall is a “logical” site.
The number of people seeking asylum in Ireland and the dysfunction in the asylum system have continued to dominate political debates in recent weeks.
It follows an increase in people setting up tents in Dublin, including along Mount Street and the Grand Canal, as the State struggles to find accommodation for them.
Ireland has granted more than 105,000 temporary protection orders since the start of the war in Ukraine, and almost 72,000 international protection applicants are in State-provided accommodation.
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