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LAST UPDATE | 20 May 2020
MINISTER FOR JUSTICE Charlie Flanagan has rejected calls to close a Direct Provision centre in Kerry, but has apologised to local residents for the manner in which it opened.
In an open letter in The Kerryman newspaper today, Flanagan said he felt he had no choice but to open the centre at the former Skellig Star Hotel in Cahersiveen in March due to the impending coronavirus crisis.
And in a radio interview this morning, the minister also issued an apology to residents living in the centre.
There have been a number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 at the centre, which was opened by the Department of Justice & Equality on 18 March as part of its response to the health crisis.
Some of those who have tested positive have been moved off-site to an isolation facility.
Flanagan’s letter comes after a HSE warning that some centres may be “insufficient or unsuitable” for self-isolation, according to a letter obtained by TheJournal.ie.
Last night, public health officials confirmed 171 cases of Covid-19 among people living in Direct Provision. This includes 13 clusters.
Migrants rights groups and local residents have called for asylum seekers to be moved out of the former Skellig Star Hotel due to the crisis. But in his letter, Flanagan said this would not happen.
“On behalf of [junior minister David Stanton] and myself, I want to apologise most sincerely to the people of Cahersiveen for the way in which we had to open the Direct Provision centre in the Skellig Star, but I also want to outline why we had to do it in the way we did,” he wrote.
Flanagan acknowledged there had been “upset and anger” at the circumstances in which the centre had been opened, and said that the process is usually a difficult one which had been exasperated by the onset of the Covid-19 crisis.
He explained that it was not tenable in a health emergency to have large numbers of asylum seekers in emergency hotel accommodation, sharing facilities with other guests, as had been the case with the residents of the Skellig Star Hotel.
“So we moved people in within days,” he said.
“It was fast. I admit that. It left little or no time for engagement. I admit that. It was presented as a fait accompli. I admit that too. All I can say in my department’s defence is we simply did not feel we had a choice.”
The minister acknowledged concern and worry followed, particularly after Covid-19 was confirmed in a guest at a Dublin hotel where residents at the centre had previously been staying.
But he said that nobody in that hotel was approached as a trace contact, and that there was no indication that anyone who had moved from the hotel – where the guest who tested positive had only stayed for one night – was unwell or waiting a test or test result.
“All I can say about Cahersiveen… is that it is really difficult to look at the facts and the timeframe, and conclude that there was any link between the single case in the Dublin hotel and the residents in the Skellig Star becoming ill,” he wrote.
“As to what the source of their illness was, we will almost certainly never know.”
Later, Flanagan said that his department would continue to make life comfortable for this living in the Skellig Star, and would help communicate with residents through an NGO and via a telephone support service for residents.
He added that there was goodwill in Kerry towards asylum seekers, and that he hoped that the government had not damaged this as a result of events surrounding the opening of the Skellig Star.
“The centre is operating and will continue to do so. I just hope we can welcome you into it when the current restrictions are lifted,” he concluded.
Speaking later this morning on Today with Sarah McInerney, Flanagan was asked if he would apologise to residents living in the former hotel.
“I do so now through you,” he said. “I don’t believe The Kerryman is a high seller in the hotel, and I don’t say that flippantly.”
The mister was also questioned about whether he would be comfortable sharing a bedroom with a stranger at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I would regard that as very challenging,” he said, before adding that extra rooms were made available for families and those who wished to separate themselves from other residents.
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Good luck Shane Finn, fair play to you!
This is an addiction ! It’s very good for the charity but this mans health will suffer in the future. All these people running more & more races are damaging their bodies. It’s getting out of control. I hate being a kill joy but these athletes will suffer in the future.
@Martin Sinnott: 1 a year is what a dictor told me. More than that is bad for you
@Martin Sinnott: got any research to back any of your claims up?
@Martin Sinnott: Agree I ran two marathons. It’s all the training that’s the killer not just the race. I was out 4-5 times per week training for 9 months.
@Martin Sinnott: And whatevers ails these pioneers in the future will more than likely create a run to help them. I don’t know the man, I now know why he’s doing it, but to run 624 miles in a mere 24 days must justify something he REALLY STRONGLY believes in. All the best, and may GOD be with you..
@Shoot First: any actual medical evidence other than some article on a website??
@Martin Sinnott: you had it bang on with kill joy. You could have saved us all the bother by stopping there
Keep it up Shane, it’ll be an incredible achievement when you are done.
If he would of said even 10 I would of been thinking he’s mad . But 24 ….. God help his legs at the end of it .
Fair play to him for raising money for a much needed cause though .
Very fit or very mad, probably both.
Running marathon is an achievement. Putting ones life at risk to raise awareness and money for a charity is commendable.
But running 24 marathons in 24 days is simply self-harm and is possibly born out of an addiction.
Self-harm as a means of fund raising should not be endorsed or promoted by the media.
Some man, he’s running now as we speak from Balbriggan to Dublin. But for the record, there are even more mad people than Shane, let me mention Spanish man Ricardo Abat. He ran 500 marathons in 500 consecutive days. Yes no mistake here 5 hundred. To make it even more insane, the man did a part of it while having full time 8 hour a day job in the factory. Because he worked shifts on some days he completed two marathons in one day.
Absolute bonkers, but goes to show what human body is capable of. Now think about it when you’re too tired to walk the dog or play with kids after your 8 hours desk office job :)
@Tomasz Kuchnik: great comment. He’s obviously motivated by the suffering of his cousin who should be taken care better by our health services. The cuts have hit the least able to fight back. For shame.
Maybe the man knows the sacrifice he is making , and is willing to do it . However should he do a Forrest Gump , and keep on going , we’ll go with Mark Sinnotts’ comment .
Not very good for the knees or the ankles. Just go into the sports surgery clinic and have a chat with some of the patients.
@Tony O Neill: great comment. I bet you are a very active lad with loads of experience…
People who don’t run putting up stupid comments if you take it easy it does no harm to body didn’t back fella called Stevie in the last 2 year’s run 100 marathons in 100 days and 60 ultras ( 40 miles ) in 60 day’s, but all the couch potatoes will sit on their holes telling people running is bad for you, Fair play to this fella
@Robert Treston: Ricardo Abat, 607 marathons in 607 days. After he did his famous 500 earlier too.
Ard fhear Shane!
Wonderful effort. Glad to donate. But it’s such a pity that our government fails these people. That does not take away from his wonderful but painful endeavour. Best of luck.
There are too much of this on the roads with traffic backing up for ages especially on the ring of Kerry which sees runners doing it with their entourage. Cyclist are not too bad as going a bit faster and spread out. Tractors reversing around the 180km route is another one!
At least there hasn’t been a bed push in a while!
Well done to this chap
Hope it doesn’t put too much pressure on his ticker
Good cause – Totally stupid idea.
What’s stupid is the negative comments and the comments from non-runners etc. It isn’t harming you. It is his body his choice and if any of you even read the article properly you would have seen that he has successfully run 12 marathons 12 days already and that he is mentally strong as well as physically. It takes 60% mental strength and 40% physical strength. I personally know Shane. He has done a number of Ironman comps, marathons and he has prepared for this for over a year. He knows what he is doing. He is an absolute inspiration and legend. I am honoured to know him and run with him. He is so mentally strong and positive always. Best of luck with the rest of the challenge Shane
Absolutely amazing #legend just passed him going through kilmacanogue looking very comfortable well done Shane
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