Over 200 refugees seeking international protection without accommodation

Kenneth Fox

The Government has been unable to find any accommodation for more than 200 people seeking international protection.

556 international protection applicants (IPA) have been left without shelter at one point or another since the closure of the Citywest Transit Hub on January 24.

The Department of Integration confirmed that, on Wednesday, a further 18 newly arrived IPAs were not offered accommodation, bringing the current total without State shelter to 217.

Since January 24th, 321 people who were previously unaccommodated have subsequently been offered accommodation, according to the department.

A spokesperson said the department is continuing to "work intensively" to source further accommodation and to follow up with those IPAs awaiting an offer of shelter.

Those arriving to no shelter are still being advised to go to the Capuchin Day Centre for meals and facilities. It says it is now dealing with figures “never seen before”.

The homeless centre, which receives €400,000 a year from the Government, has costs of up to €4 million in the same period and runs primarily on donations.

Capuchin Day Centre accountant Aideen O’Hara said they are providing among the highest numbers so far in terms of dinners, and takeaway bags.

“We gave out over 1,400 bags on Wednesday morning, and we had about 850 for dinner,” she said.

Ms O’Hara said the centre had been giving out roughly 1,100 bags up until recently.

Last month, Capuchin Day Centre manager Alan Bailey said there had been a “huge increase” in the number of people coming to the centre for facilities.