HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS have urged the Department for Children and Integration to reverse the transfer of a young girl who has shown “signs of trauma” to a former hotel for people seeking international protection in Co Tipperary, amid fears from her mother and her school that it will cause severe setbacks for her recovery.
Human rights group Doras, which has visited the Dundrum Ipas centre in recent weeks, said the decision risks “unnecessary further trauma” for the seven-year-old.
“It is crucial that the child is allowed to return to Dublin, where they can continue to receive the necessary support and care,” the group told The Journal.
The Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (Masi) also criticised the Department’s treatment of the family and called for it to take into account a report provided by the girl’s original school.
Earlier this month, the school, based in south Dublin, appealed to International Protection Accommodation Services (Ipas) to reverse its decision to relocate her and her mother.
Ipas falls under Minister for Children and Integration Roderic O’Gorman’s department.
Approximately 70 people applying for international protection were recently transferred to Dundrum House, which has become the focal point of hostility by some locals throughout this summer.
Doras, Masi and new residents of Dundrum House have reported regular racial discrimination since they arrived three weeks ago.
In a letter seen by The Journal, the school expressed fears that the child’s relocation could set her back “academically and emotionally” due to trauma she suffered previously.
The young girl was due to enter second class in Dublin this week, but she and her mother were transferred to Dundrum House earlier this month unexpectedly.
When she enrolled last August, the girl was “withdrawn, highly anxious and emotionally dysregulated” according to the school’s report to Ipas, but it said that a combination of daily and weekly play therapies and support led her to “finally feel safe and secure” at the school.
Her mother and staff had prepared a plan for her to access learning this coming term but this has been upended by the family’s unexpected transfer by Ipas almost 200km away.
John Lannon, chief executive of Doras, said it was crucial for the department to take heed of the school’s report and knowledge of the child.
“We are concerned about the recent transfer of a child with additional support needs and her mother from Dublin to Dundrum. This move not only disrupts the child’s education but also severs the vital support systems that had been established to ensure she gets the support she needs,” Lannon said.
He said it was very concerning to see a vulnerable child, who had been making progress in a supportive educational environment, “uprooted and placed in a situation that exacerbates their challenges”.
Lannon added that the “trauma of displacement”, coupled with a potential lack of specialised resources in Dundrum, poses a significant risk to the child’s development and well-being.
The school in Dublin, where the child was previously enrolled, is rightly advocating for their return, recognizing the severe impact this move has on the child’s ability to learn and thrive.
“We call on IPAS to urgently reconsider this transfer. It is crucial that the child is allowed to return to Dublin, where they can continue to receive the necessary support and care,” Lannon said.
“The well-being of children in the international protection system must be at the forefront of any relocation decisions. No child should be forced to endure unnecessary further trauma.”
Doras said the situation in Dundrum “underscores the broader issues” within the IPAS transfer system, where “decisions are often made without considering the individual needs and best interests” of children and families.
“We stand ready to support this family and others who were abruptly moved to Dundrum, in any way we can,” Lannon said.
Masi criticised the department’s handling of the family’s relocation.
“The school do not shut wake up and decide to write that letter,” Masi co-ordinator Lucky Khambule said.
“They know the life of that child. They have a plan in for what that child needs, a continuous process for the growth of the child. Ipas should be able to take that into consideration.”
“The school has done them a favour by giving the details of that child, they need to consider that as a unit. People in Ipas can read that report, call the school and have a conversation and have an informed decision on where to place that family.
In response, a department spokesperson said that it can’t comment on individual cases or the transfer of individuals within the international protection accommodation system due to the “requirement to maintain the security and right to privacy” of people seeking asylum.
The statement added: “The safety and wellbeing of all International Protection Applicants residing in International Protection Accommodation is of paramount importance.
“The International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) has dedicated resident wellbeing staff who are ready to respond to issues affecting residents at any time.
“IPAS is actively engaging with management and residents of Dundrum House Hotel to address any queries or concerns they have following their recent arrival.”
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