Ireland 'concerned' about asylum seekers in tents
The Department of Integration said it would provide tents and sleeping bags where required
At a glance
The Irish government has said that it is not able to house all those seeking asylum in the Republic of Ireland
The Department of Integration said there is a "severe shortage" of accommodation
The Republic is currently accommodating more than 100,000 people
The Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) said the government is "very concerned" about the prospect of asylum seekers sleeping in tents
- Published
The Irish government has said that it is not able to house all those seeking asylum.
There is a "severe shortage" of accommodation, the Department of Integration said.
Ireland is currently accommodating more than 100,000 people.
This includes 74,000 people fleeing the war in Ukraine, and more than 26,000 international protection applicants seeking asylum from other parts of the world.
The Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) said the government is "very concerned" about the prospect of asylum seekers sleeping in tents and the associated health and safety risks, Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported.
Micheál Martin says the government is "very concerned" about the situation
Micheál Martin described the situation as challenging and said the Irish government will be meeting later this week to assess the matter.
The Department of Integration said that it would be offering drop-in day services, which which offer people access to facilities including hot showers, meals and laundry services seven days a week.
It also said that it would provide tents and sleeping bags where required.
The department said that its officials were "working to bring more bed spaces into use".
Its statement added that since January 2022 it has brought over 10,000 bed spaces into use to accommodate those who arrive in Ireland seeking international protection.
The spokesperson attributed "various issues beyond the control of the department" to the failure to meet current demand.
The head of office at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees told RTÉ's News at One that the news was "extremely concerning" and "disheartening".
Enda O'Neill said: "This is not the first time this has happened between January and June this year. Over 1,500 asylum seekers were not initially offered accommodation when they arrived in the state.
"I do not think it is safe for anybody to be on the streets particularly, in light of the events last Thursday, the situation has only deteriorated since early this year in terms of some of the intimidation and threatening behaviour that we have seen on our streets."
Mr O'Neill added that Ireland had done "remarkably well" to put things in place but, he felt, that since the summer, the "momentum has completely shifted away".