Child in asylum-seeker centre hospitalised after pest infestation
A child in an asylum-seeker centre had to be hospitalised due to pest infestation, as the first independent inspections of their accommodation also show some staff had not been vetted by gardaí.
Inspection reports on four asylum-seeker centres published by Hiqa yesterday found a pest infestation at a centre in Monaghan.
There was overcrowding in the centre and this negatively affected some residents by compromising their dignity and well-being, and did not meet the requirements of the national standards.
Inspectors observed the presence of pests across six family units, and residents in an additional 13 units reported experiencing infestations in their living quarters.
This presented a risk to the health and well-being of residents and specifically, young children.
There was little space for children to do their homework.
The service provider was required to take immediate action on the day of the inspection to address this infestation and inspectors received verbal assurances from the provider representative that steps would be taken before inspectors left the centre.
Another inspection of Knockalisheen centre in Limerick city found there was no garda vetting for a number of staff and international police checks were not done on others who had previously lived abroad.
The inspectors also found that 52 men were living in “military-style” tents on the grounds of the centre and the conditions posed a risk to their health, safety and welfare.
They did not have any privacy to change their clothes and there were no screens between beds as well as no access to storage for personal belongings.
The residents told the inspectors of incidents involving drug use, drinking and aggressive behaviour at the centre and some said they felt unsafe.
An inspection of Hanratty’s Hotel in Limerick city found residents satisfied with services.
Another inspection of the Hazel Hotel in Monasterevin, Co Kildare, found it provided a high-quality service, although there was room for improvement. Some residents said they did not always feel safe.
Bronagh Gibson, Hiqa’s head of programme for monitoring international protection accommodation service centres, said: “This first series of inspection reports detail a number of key issues within the international protection accommodation service across the country.
“Inspectors found safeguarding issues across the centres assessed, including failures to ensure staff were garda vetted. There was also an absence of safeguarding policies in a number of centres, particularly in relation to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults.
“It is essential that asylum-seekers, who are often a vulnerable population, are safe and protected from risk.”
She added: “Providers have submitted compliance plans in order to improve the service they offer and to become compliant with the national standards.”