Removal of tents was not to save face
TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar denied moving asylum seekers sleeping in tents outside the International Protection Office was to avoid embarrassing Ireland on St Patrick’s Day.
Hundreds of international protection applicants sleeping rough on Mount Street in Dublin were moved to a site at Crooksling on Saturday.
The Government stopped providing State accommodation to some international protection applicants in December.
Mr Varadkar said the migrants were moved to the new site as it has better sanitation facilities.
He denied accusations the move happened to avoid humiliating Ireland on its national holiday.
SANITARY
He said: “The reason why they were moved essentially was that there weren’t any sanitary facilities. There were no showers and toilets on Mount Street.
“The alternative in Crooksling had that, so it was to move them really for health and safety reasons from a place where there was no facility somewhere there is.
It comes after anti-immigrant protests took place at a vacant nursing home in Crooksling last month.
The former St Brigid’s
Nursing Home was also targeted in an arson attack.
Mr Varadkar said security measures are in place to protect the migrants.
He said: “The reason why it was chosen is because it is state-owned and it was available and there was running water, showers, toilets, much better conditions than people would have experienced on Mount Street.
“Unfortunately, there are protests, there’s risks everywhere, you’ll recall what happened on Sandwith Street.
“Unfortunately, no matter where people are, there’s going be certain risks. But obviously, security measures are put in place as well.”