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THE GOVERNMENT HAS paid over €1.6 million to a private contractor to source emergency accommodation for asylum seekers since September 2018.
Trenthall Ltd is contracted by the Department of Justice to find accommodation in the Cavan-Monaghan area following increased pressure on its Reception and Integration Agency (RIA).
Separate to the 6,162 people living in Direct Provision centres around Ireland, there are currently 195 people living in hotels and B&Bs in the Cavan-Monaghan area, according to RIA.
Since early January, a further 134 people have sought international protection in Ireland and are now living in emergency accommodation in Dublin, Louth and Waterford following a tendering process for further emergency accommodation by the department.
Due to the rise in the number of applicants for international protection, “severe pressure” is being placed on RIA, according to a department spokesperson.
To comply with the EU Reception Conditions directive, use of emergency accommodation has been necessary for the past number of months, they said.
Since September, Trenthall Ltd has sourced emergency accommodation as part of its contract. The company has also sourced accommodation for RIA in Dundalk since late December and in Waterford since early January. The company, in turn, pays hotels and B&Bs for providing food and rooms.
‘Adequate provision’
Although the department has said that emergency accommodation for asylum seekers is a temporary measure, concerns have been raised about the length of time people are spending in hotels and B&Bs and the level of service provision.
Jennifer deWan of Nasc, the Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre says that her organisation has raised the issue of “an over-reliance on private contracts” to provide accommodation for asylum seekers.
“It has become clear so far from how the emergency accommodation is working that people who are being sent to these emergency sites are not necessarily being supported adequately,” deWan has said.
If RIA needs to use emergency accommodation then she says it must “ensure that those going into that form of accommodation are supported as much as possible” and that they “aren’t left in an ‘emergency’ situation for long periods of time”.
“We all know that the development of the direct provision system was initially described as an ‘emergency’ or ‘interim’ measure in relation to high numbers of asylum seekers who were experiencing homelessness in the late 1990s,” deWan says. “We cannot let this happen again in the provision of emergency accommodation.”
The 38 Direct Provision centres around Ireland are currently at capacity. Although the department continues to tender for more permanent centres, its tender last month for additional emergency accommodation was issued as a result of a fire at a hotel in Moville, Co Donegal and a fire at the Shannon Key West Hotel in Roosky, Co Leitrim. On Monday evening, a second fire broke out at the Shannon Key West.
Both hotels were due to accommodate asylum seekers arriving in Ireland.
A spokesperson for the department says that “it’s important to note that the hotels in which these emergency beds are provided are functioning businesses offering services to the general public and are not RIA accommodation centre[s]“.
RIA has said that staff members are in “close and ongoing contact” with service providers about service provision and operational issues in emergency accommodation centres.
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Some well connected folk are making a lot of money out of this
@Terry Tibbs: if we all have to pay a liitle more tax so that these poor refugees have a place to stay i think its worth it.
@George Weener: Im already paying 40% on income tax. Im not interested in paying more, but if the Government want to divert money from the ‘temporary USC’ to this cause then Im all for it.
@George Weener: feel free to donate your own money so but don’t expect the already squeezed taxpayer to pay more
@George Weener: What exactly is your limit? Should we bring in 100,000 more people? 200,000? Accommodation is one thing but then there’s schools, hospitals and transport. And when you can’t adequately provide for these people crime will rise, which is not necessarily their fault; it’s just human nature. At some point even increasing taxes won’t work. Just look at our housing crisis. Not everything can be solved with tax.
@Toomasu Sumitsu: we could easily take in 20 thousand refugees from middle east and Africa each yrar and never notice any impact on services.
@George Weener: you have to bring their families then, 10 to 100 extra per person. The health will collapse, already FMG is an issue here over six thousand I believe. I think we’ll notice alright. Don’t know how this all fits in with our climate change commitment’s, unless the longer term strategy is to reduce living standards and create a massive new class of homeless poor in society, which is well underway. So 10’000 homeless, heading for 10’000 FGM victims. And a collapsing health service, including GP provided services…an energy grid driven by more and more unreliable wind power..but sure can take in the whole of African & the middle East! I watch on in amusement!
Trenthall is run by Seamus “Banty” McEaneny…… The Same fella who had this headline only in December…
Hotels and restaurants prominent on Revenue’s €13m tax defaulters’ list
Monaghan hotel co-owned by GAA manager ‘Banty’ McEnaney makes €2.5m settlement
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/hotels-and-restaurants-prominent-on-revenue-s-13m-tax-defaulters-list-1.3719935
Wow! what a great little country this is.
@Pixie McMullen: Nice find!
@Pixie McMullen: a company search says the company mentioned in the article may also trade as Foley’s Bar & Bistro
@Pixie McMullen: he had issues before that as well as far as I remember
The DP cash cow needs to end, certain groups are have a nice earner with this.
I don’t see why individuals with failed asylum claims are allowed to remain?
How many houses could this of built………120 maybe?
@Jo Mullins: *have built. Answer: Feck all.
@Jo Mullins: providing emergency accommodation and building social housing are not mutually exclusive. Both need to be provided
@Jo Mullins: 120 houses for 1.6 million……? I think the number you’re looking for is 4/5 houses.
@Jo Mullins: 120 Wendy houses
@Anthony Power: or 1/10th of a hospital
@Tony Gordon: 1/1000th
All the civil servants on the payroll and we’re still paying private companies to do work like this. Shameful waste of taxpayers money.
@Emachine: anyone ever heard of daft.ie it my home.ie
Once again the government make it up as they go along.
What a complete joke they can’t even look after or own homeless but yet we can pay 1.6 million to look after asylum seekers this country is backwards. Not racist but I’m out 3 mornings a week of my own good will to feed the homeless.
@john: @john: any time you use the phrase ‘I’m not racist but…’ you’ve completely lost credibility. Despite ‘Your own Goodwill’
@Glenn O’hAilpín: well in this day and age you have to say it cause people assume or get easily offended by the truth.
@Glenn O’hAilpín: the word racist has lost all credibility
@Glenn O’hAilpín: your comment makes no sense. The fact that people with genuine concerns about ’government abuse of homeless Irish people’ taking “second place to providing for foreigners” having to declare themselves as ‘not racist’ speaks volumes. You Sir, in your slander of someone voicing their opinion, are the racist.
These FFGers are rewriting the book on incompetence and wastefulness, There’s no beginning to their talent.
@Dot Com:
Throwing cash at everything.
They’d remind you of Lloyd and Harry that time when they found Mary Swanson’s brief case.
Why should people pay taxes and other charges when the money is just wasted. Time to do something.
When is this corruption going to end ??
Public must take a stand support the yellow vests and Gemma
@Jonathan Yeo: when people stop voting for those clowns
There’ll be no rooms in hotels for tourists at the rate were going… Are we willing to forgo the hundreds of millions pumped into the local economy from tourism each year so we can house each and every chancer who turns up on our shores and contributes absolutely nothing to society…
How does this compare with the cost of “non emergency” accommodation, ie are landlords cashing in on the fact that it is by its nature emergency, and that usually emergencies carry a “surcharge”, commonly known a as “gouging”?
@Jaycee Laycee: I suspect the cost is so high because they are choosing ‘hotels& B&B’s ‘ which by their nature would forego the ability to let each night to regular punters. So in essence we are paying the highest rate possible to house them.But fear not the Government said its only a ‘temporary’ measure…
This is one of the joys of being a member state.
“Looks like we have a problem”
“I’ll look into the problem and find a solution ASAP”
“No need. We’ll just throw more taxpayer money at it”
Times infinity.
A perfect example of how our politicians work for the big corporations & NOT for you or me! The rate the super rich are getting richer has escalated so quickly over the last few years is ridiculous! It’s like their all afraid of being caught out & might actually have to pay their fair share of taxes. This c**p of just having taxes for some but not for the super rich is insane & must be stopped.
Free hotel room and weekly social payment.. Ffs what’s Goin on like,might just quit my job this mornin and get it all for free
Country is being ran by f!@#in donkeys
Between Jobbridge being paying millions and this crowd being paid millions it looks like out government is outsourcing many of its normal functions for a very high premium that we, the tax payers, are picking up the build for. It must be great for companies with ties to this government are they are making out like bandits for doing very little.
This government has got to go….
And how much will they pay for our own homeless?
@Jess Kelly: a hell of a lot – hotel rooms, B&B, emergency accommodation and let’s not exclude HAP, children allowance etc.
How is the money paid is it a rate per person who gets accommodation
Money well spent, let’s hope we see an end to far-right racists destroying private property and locked up for their crimes, acting like Bolsheviks more and more every day.
@Orla Smith: money well spent on security are you actually for real with that comment i agree with the racists. 1.6 million…
@Orla Smith: money well spent?! You clearly haven’t a clue. And anyone that seems to disagree with you on the Journal you label a ‘Racist’. People like you are a problem.
@Orla Smith: money well spent?! You clearly haven’t looked at this at all.And anyone that seems to disagree with you on the Journal you label a R acist. People like you are a problem.
@john: racist the popular word these days
Over €90 per person per night paid to agency for upkeep – but asylum seekers only get €21 per week for any needs other than food, bed and shelter. Strangers sharing rooms (and even double beds). Sanitary products provided if you ask the agency for them directly – which is claimed back as an extra expense.
This is our Ireland?
Ship them back home!!!! Enough with the ‘We have to look after everyone else, but our own’ mentality amongst the elites. Think most of the destinations there from would do the same curtosy for us? Pull the other one.
Roughly about the same cost to rent a 2 bed apartment in Spencer dock for 4 months
have your say