Almost 400 asylum-seekers in Kerry facing move as accommodation reverts to tourism sector

Anne Lucey

Updated: 4pm

Just under 400 Direct Provision residents, including 20 families, at Hotel Killarney in Co Kerry have been formally told their accommodation is to return to revert to being tourist accommodation at the end of March.

The residents were informed by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), however, they were not informed as to where they are to be accommodated and whether they are being moved from Killarney.

Formal notice of the residents having to leave the hotel was sent by the Department of Integration on Thursday.

Hotel Killarney, which has been at the centre of controversy regarding the housing of international protection applicants, had signalled since January its intention to return to providing tourist accommodation.

The hotel was at the centre of controversy last autumn after Ukrainian refugees were moved out to make way for international protection applicants. Most of the Ukrainian families have since been accommodated locally in hotels hosting Ukrainian refugees.

Informed sources say the three other Direct Provision centres in Killarney are now full. One centre, near Hotel Killarney - Atlas House - which accommodates around 100 international protection applicants, is accommodating a number of people who have been granted refugee status.

Those successful applicants cannot move out of the Direct Provision centre because there is no accommodation available in Killarney, the source said.

A spokesperson from the department said at this stage it is not possible to say where the residents will be placed.

However, as with other contracts coming to an end in April, "affected residents will be notified in advance of the move and that those with children of school going age will receive assistance from the IPAS Resident Welfare team in relation to school places in their new accommodation centre, and IPAS will work closely with all residents to minimise disruption as much as possible".

"All affected residents will receive a letter in the coming days advising them that their current temporary accommodation is coming to an end but that they will be re-accommodated in another location over the coming weeks – at this time it is not possible to confirm where the residents will be dispersed to due to the ongoing shortage of accommodation in the IPAS accommodation portfolio due to the unprecedented numbers arrived since the beginning of 2022," the statement continued.

Meanwhile, the notice sent to residents at Killarney Hotel states the contract with the hotel is coming to an end. No exact final date is given, but local sources indicate it to be at the end of March, with the hotel to reopening towards the end of April.

Residents will be moved from the hotel over the coming weeks, according to the notice.

The IPAS operations team apologised for the disruption and said they would do everything they could to minimise this.