AN INSPECTION OF a direct provision centre in Co Laois has found that the majority of its residents had already been granted refugee or a similar protection status.

Direct provision centres, which have previously been widely-criticised by human and refugee rights’ groups for being unsuitable, are supposed to accommodate couples, families and others who have arrived to Ireland seeking protection.

Once an application for protection has been processed, however, it is no longer required for the applicant to remain in the accommodation and the State will house another family in their place.

However, an inspection conducted by the Health Inspection and Quality Authority (HIQA) of the Hibernian Hotel in Abbeyleix, Co Laois has found that 75% of its residents had remained in situ, despite already having been granted protection by the State.

While the number of people applying for protection, according to Tánaiste Micheál Martin this morning, has decreased by 50% with the revisions to the ‘safe countries’ list, Government is unable to house every one who arrives seeking asylum.

Direct provision centres used to be the first choice for Government when housing people seeking protection but with scarce spaces, the State has leased private hotels around the country, for over a year.

In December, the State ran out of this private accommodation to house international protection applicants and has since prioritised housing for vulnerable people, such as families, couples and children.

The report into the Hibernian Hotel details that the people who had been granted protection by the State remained at the centre because they were “unable to avail of more appropriate accommodation arrangements”.

Currently, prices in the private rental market are increasing in every county, except Dublin. While rent prices remain stable in Dublin and hikes have stopped, the cost of renting is not going down in any region.

In the private housing market, the supply of homes is at its lowest in 17 years – causing a major demand issue and putting the future decrease of inflation rates at risk.

Everything else about the centre was to standard, according to the HIQA report. The accommodation housed 40 applicants, including 19 children, who lived in the 19 available rooms.

The rooms were clean, the children attended school and had suitable study rooms and indoor and outdoor play areas.

A self-catering services was offered at the centre which allowed he residents have a choice, particularly regarding culturally-sensitive food.

While the HIQA report details that the dining room was “small” for the number of residents, inspectors did not see it as an issue as they later say that most residents eat in their private rooms at different times.

The centre was clean throughout, including the communal kitchen and hygiene facilities. Both areas were also stocked with appropriate appliances, such as washing machines and dryers, and refrigerators and freezers.

The latest batch of eight reports, including the inspection of Hibernian Hotel, were announced inspections. None of the reports detail issues with hygiene, cleanliness or overcrowded or dangerous settings.

A common trend among at least six of the reports, however, is the requirement for better training to be provided to staff at the centres, in order to provide a higher-quality service to the residents with a person-centred approach.

Additionally, at least two reports detail the requirement for management to define the role of some staff members and then to communicate those roles to residents, such as the accommodation officer.