Campaign will continue until Skellig Star is finally closed forever say local community and residents

THE local community and residents at the Skellig Star Direct Provision Centre have called on the Department of Justice to close the centre as soon as possible amid fears it may be many months before the centre is ultimately closed.

The Department of Justice will begin moving the remaining asylum seekers from the Skellig Star Direct Provision Centre this week according to Justice Minister Helen McEntee, who announced the Cahersiveen centre would be closed, but she said it could be the end of the year before everyone is moved.

This time-scale has raised concerns in the local community. The Kerryman understands that only two transfers of asylum seekers will take place this week. Currently there are 41 asylum seekers at the centre, including seven children. 36 will remain this week.

The announcement of its closure, which the local community in Cahersiveen has stated is a victory for the them and the residents, who have fought for months to have the direct provision centre closed. The final nail in the coffin came last week as the remaining asylum seekers began a hunger strike in a bid to highlight what they view as ‘inhumane’ conditions at the centre. The hunger strike came following months of controversy surrounding the centre. The hunger strikers demanded that they be moved to more suitable accommodation and on Thursday last Justice Minister Helen McEntee told the Dáil the centre would be closed.

“The centre in Cahersiveen was opened as emergency accommodation at the outset of the pandemic and it is always the Department’s policy to withdraw from emergency accommodation as quickly as possible. However, it is not always possible to do this as quickly as we would like,” Minister McEntee told the Dáil last Thursday.

“My officials will be implementing that policy regarding Cahersiveen. Places for first families are currently being identified and I gave a commitment earlier today that those families’ moves will be completed by the end of next week. Other residents in the centre will be moved to more permanent accommodation as soon as spaces can be found in the coming months. I have given a commitment that I want this to be done by the end of the year,” the minister added.

Department of Justice officials visited the centre last week after the hunger strike began last Tuesday and said they were concerned that any resident would put their health in danger by refusing food.