The Department of Integration says that tented accommodation for International Protection Applicants in Crooksling has been damaged by poor weather conditions, as it confirmed contingency plans for a number of other tented IPAS sites across the country after Met Eireann issued nationwide weather warnings.
As temperatures continue to plummet, with snow possible in Dublin tonight, the Department of Integration said that its Resident Welfare Team, alongside staff from the Department, are “working tirelessly to ensure that people staying in our tented sites are warm, dry and safe during this cold weather.”
The Crooksling site in South Dublin has up to 500 male residents, who are housed in tents on the land surrounding the former St. Brigid’s nursing home. Concern has previously been voiced about “dirty, overcrowded and damp” conditions in the tents, while the government has insisted that the tented accommodation has electricity and heating.
Videos which surfaced online this week showed wet bedding and leaking roofs at the site, prompting concern. In response to a query from Gript, the Department said on Wednesday that some of the tents at the site had been damaged, prompting all residents to be “temporarily moved inside.”
“The safety and wellbeing of residents in our accommodation centres, and in particular this week at our tented sites, is our priority.”
“At Crooksling, we reacted immediately yesterday after some of the tents were damaged by weather conditions. We implemented our contingency plan and all people staying there have now been temporarily moved inside, with a small number moved to another site. People staying at Crooksling have also been provided with extra blankets.”
“We are in the process of arranging for people who are staying in tents at River Lodge in Newtownmountkennedy to move to alternative tented accommodation at the Central Mental Hospital. The tented accommodation at the Central Mental Hospital is better equipped to deal with the current weather conditions,” the Department added.
It said that residents at other IPAS sites – Columb Barracks and Knockalisheen – had been provided with “extra blankets” and hot drinks, but had not been moved.
“In relation to our other tented sites at Columb Barracks and Knockalisheen, these are managing well at the moment. Residents at these sites have also been provided with extra blankets, along with hot drinks and snacks between meals.
“We are in regular contact with the management at these sites to get updates on the welfare of residents and to find out if any of the tents have been affected by weather conditions.”
The Department said it has contingency arrangements in place at these sites whereby, if necessary, people can be moved temporarily to indoor accommodation.
Earlier this month, Minister for Integration, Roderic O’Gorman, confirmed that tented accommodation has been stood up at both Crooksling and River Lodge. All sites have been met with protests from locals, many of whom have argued that the conditions are inhumane and degrading.
“Together, these sites offer a current capacity of over 600 residents. The Department is progressing plans to develop Thornton Hall and Athlone and these are hoped to be occupied in the near future,” he said.
Mr O’Gorman confirmed that currently, the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) is providing accommodation to over 32,000 people in 320 centres around the country, noting the “very significant increase” in those seeking International Protection here.
“To date, five additional state-owned sites have been licensed to the Department under this strategy, including Crooksling, River Lodge, Heatherside (HSE), Thornton Hall (IPS) and Lissywollen, Athlone (OPW),” Mr O’Gorman said.
He also confirmed that over 96% of the accommodation provided to people seeking international protection by IPAS is contracted commercially.
However, amid sustained backlash, the government has confirmed that it is moving away from reliance on commercial providers towards a core of 14,000 State beds for refugees by 2028. That strategy was published in March 2024 and is now being implemented.