State is footing the bill for migrants’ tents that are destroyed within days
The Government is paying for tents that are handed out to asylum-seekers, only for them to be destroyed days later when they are moved out of makeshift encampments in Dublin city.
Ministers are struggling to stop socalled “tent cities” springing up close to the International Protection Office (IPO) in the capital, despite Taoiseach Simon Harris’s assertions that the camps will not be allowed.
With these factors taken into account, confusion has been expressed over the State’s provision of tents to men it is unable to find accommodation for.
The Irish Independent understands that when international protection applicants arrive at the IPO on Mount Street in Dublin city, they are registered and given a blue card with their details.
Once the administrative process is complete, they are advised to visit a local charity where they receive a sleeping bag and tent.
The charities then use the details on the blue card to claim back the cost of the equipment from the State.
Speaking yesterday, the Taoiseach said he is satisfied that more accommodation options, such as those provided to people who were camped at the Grand Canal in Dublin, will come “on stream” soon.
Mr Harris was addressing the media at Corrin Mart in Fermoy, Co Cork. He said Ireland faces a challenging situation as large numbers of people come to the country while there are “constraints” on providing accommodation.
More tents were erected along the banks of the Grand Canal in the early hours of yesterday, less than a day after an encampment was removed from the area.
About 30 tents were pitched after asylum-seekers were moved to tented accommodation on state-owned sites on Thursday.
Mr Harris said that outside of accommodation, other options at the Government’s disposal are being examined so that a sustainable immigration policy can be put in place.
The Taoiseach also called for a measured sense of perspective amid heightened public tensions.
He said people coming to Ireland seeking protection are “very vulnerable”, and outlined how important it is for the public to be aware of this.
He added that the Government’s responsibility is to demonstrate there are rules in place, and that its system is “fair and firm”.
“Immigration has benefited this country and it continues to benefit this country, but people also want to know we have a rules-based system,” he said.
“They want to know when someone comes here that they can be processed quickly – that if they get a ‘yes’, they can make a contribution to Irish society. But equally, if they get a ‘no’, the rules also work in relation to that.”
Mr Harris said there is no update regarding the Government’s position on asylum-seekers crossing into the Republic via Northern Ireland.
“The factual position now is that the minister will bring forward legislation to regularise the agreement that is already in place,” he said.
He added that the “most important thing” Ireland could do to successfully address immigration is ensure people seeking asylum get “clarity and certainty” in a swift manner.