Gript can reveal that multiple residential houses in Portarlington have been outfitted with bunk beds and are now being used to house asylum seekers, with as many as 16 men staying in one house.
The houses do not appear to be registered with the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), but witnesses tell Gript that the men staying in these houses are brought to and from the East End Hotel, a registered asylum centre.
Last week, Gript reported that a local Councillor, Aidan Mullins, said that “at least” 15 people, who locals believed to be asylum seekers, were staying in a three-bedroom house in the Co Laois town.
IPAS has told the locals that the house is not a registered asylum centre. “We can confirm that the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) has no contract in place to accommodate people applying for International Protection at this address and we are not aware of any people who are accommodated at this address,” an email from IPAS stated.
Both Cllr Mullins and the local people in the housing estate of Kilnacourt Woods say there has been no action from IPAS in regard to the large number of people in the house and other concerns – with Mullins saying the asylum seekers were being placed in “unsuitable and unsafe” conditions and that the men were being housed without permission from the owner.
Photos seen by Gript suggest that there may be as many as 16 men accommodated in that particular house – with many more elsewhere.
Local residents also told Gript on Friday that the road is coming to resemble a “shanty town” due to the bunk beds which can be seen from outside, as well as the constant comings and goings and disruption associated with the house.
Gript has confirmed that the men are indeed asylum seekers, and we have identified three other properties in the town which appear to be being used for the same purpose.
Following our report, Gript received several emails from men claiming to be asylum seekers living in residential houses in the town.
The email address these men sent their emails to was the same email address which had been given to Noel Martin, who alongside his brother Patrick is the owner of the East End Hotel in Portarlington, as a point of contact should he wish to answer Gript’s questions about the situation.
The Martins have been seen regularly at the house in Kilnacourt Woods, the owner of which told Gript that the Martins were not paying rent for the use of the house and that the owner wished the house to be vacated.
When Gript spoke to two of the men they said that they were paying rent to a “Mister Noel.” When asked if this was Mr. Noel Martin the men told us that it was. They also told us that Noel Martin owns the house which they were renting.
The owner of the house claims they have made several attempts to change the lock in the house, and to have the electricity and gas supply to the house disconnected in order to force a vacation of the premises.
For their part, the asylum seekers currently residing in the house claim they were “assaulted and intimidated” after men “unlawfully broke into the property.”
Noel and Patrick Martin are directors, along with a Darren Martin, of Nera Investments which is owned by Nera Holdings, which is ultimately owned by Noel Martin.
Nera Holdings and Noel Martin wholly own Nera Accommodation which is the company that is in receipt of payments from IPAS for the accommodation of persons claiming International Protection.
Nera Accommodation has, between 2022 and the end of June this year, drawn down over €7 million from IPAS through the Department for the accommodation of persons claiming International Protection.
It emerged earlier this year that IPAS were paying €76 a night to private landlords to provide asylum accommodation.
Gript obtained a photograph of a whiteboard on the wall of an office in the East End Hotel. The board contained floor plans for the hotel.
It also listed names under the addresses of multiple houses. Gript can confirm that these addresses are of houses in the town where IPAS applicants are staying.
One list under the number ‘45’ contains 15 names including the names of several of the men who emailed Gript last Wednesday stating that they were resident in the address, 45 The Glen.
As we reported, when one of the local residents contacted IPAS in September about No. 45 The Glen they were informed that the address is not registered with IPAS.
In one of the emails, one of the men whose name is on the list from the East End Hotel says: “For the avoidance of doubt, we are private residents of 45 Glen…We are applicants for international protection but have not been provided with accommodation by IPAS.”
Gript also visited another address in the town at the Crann Nua estate which we believe is the number 107 listed on the hotel whiteboard. The photograph shows that there are bunk beds in the house, including in downstairs rooms.
A resident told us that a tent was erected in the front garden of this house on Saturday and that several men appeared to have slept in the tent.
Gript contacted the office of Minister Roderick O’Gorman and Noel Martin to seek their response to the information we have gathered. Neither had responded to our emails and texts prior to publication.
Councillor Aidan Mullins who represents Portarlington on Laois County Council has again confirmed to us that he has received no response from IPAS following several queries about the house in The Glen.
He has also not had concerns which he has raised related to the house responded to by the local authorities.
As noted above, local residents have raised ongoing concerns, telling Gript on Friday that the road is coming to resemble a “shanty town” due to the bunk beds which can be seen from outside, as well as the constant comings and goings and disruption associated with the house.