Cockroaches found in family units at refugee centre

A CHILD at a direct provision centre was admitted to hospital as a direct result of a pest infestation, a watchdog’s report has found.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) has published its first inspection reports on International Protection Accommodation Services centres.

Inspectors found overcrowding, incomplete Garda vetting and human rights issues at the four centres, which provide accommodation for asylum seekers.

At St Patrick’s Accommodation Centre in Co. Monaghan, inspectors witnessed cockroaches, which they described as ‘pests’, in six family units. Residents in an additional 13 units reported infestations in their living quarters, which posed a risk to their health and wellbeing, particularly for young children, Hiqa said.

A child was admitted to hospital as a direct result of the ‘pests’ in their family accommodation, according to the report.

The service provider had contacted a pest control company, but this did not eradicate the problem. The centre had a recorded capacity of 380 people and has different types of accommodation including studio apartments, adjoining rooms for families and modular units.

In January, it accommodated 338 residents, including 155 children, but Hiqa found that not all staff had been Gardavetted.

There was evidence of overcrowding in many of the bedrooms, with some adults and children sharing beds. The children said they liked the facilities, particularly the football pitches and local school, but that they did not have any space to do their homework or have some privacy.

Knockalisheen Accommodation Centre in Co. Clare had two accommodation blocks for women and families and four for single men, the report said. There were also 52 residents living in tents; Hiqa said this posed ‘potential risks to their health, safety and welfare’. The tent residents had no private space to change clothing, no privacy screens between beds and could not switch off an overhead light at night.

The report said there was little staff oversight or awareness of what was happening in this area. Some residents in the main centre spoke about feeling unsafe due to incidents occurring in the centre or not wanting to leave their room after dark.

The remaining centres are former hotels – Hazel Hotel in Co. Kildare and The Hanratty Hotel in Co. Limerick – which had 95 residents each.

Those residents indicated that they felt generally comfortable and secure in the centre and spoke highly of the staff.

‘Potential risks to their health and safety’