Milltown Malbay Community Letter to Minister Flanagan

Dear Minister Flanagan,

As you are aware, since May 2019 the local community of Miltown Malbay have been actively involved in welcoming asylum seekers to our town. This has included up to 35 men at a time who have been living Emergency Direct Provision accommodation in the Central Hostel. This welcome was in stark contrast to much of the narrative regarding Direct Provision in the media in 2019 at a time where there were high profile protests and arson attacks at numerous proposed centres around the country. The community in Miltown Malbay received positive media attention for its efforts, all of which were carried out without any support of funding from any Government department or agency. In fact, we heard comments on a national radio station from yourself in this regard, where you also commended us on our efforts.

Miltown Malbay is a rural town in West Clare with very few amenities or services. We do not have a lot to offer young men who cannot work, have no transport, basic or no English, and so are not in a position financially to support themselves. But this made us even more resolute to support the Asylum-seeking men. For a year, we have stood together side by side with the men, and where the government and the Hostel Management failed to address their needs, we stepped up.

We assisted with their transport needs, their attendance at medical appointments, their support during hospital stays, supported them in learning English, and we have even had to provide basic essentials such as food and heating because these needs were not being adequately met by those responsible for doing so. Every man that came to live in the Central Hostel was assigned a community mentor (if they wished) and every effort was made to support the men both on an individual basis and as part of a group. We enjoyed a hugely successful integration with the asylum seekers, something which we are very proud of.

However, over the last 12 months we have been extremely concerned that the conditions in the Central Hostel are substandard in a variety of ways and are completely unfit for purpose. This poses a significant threat to the men's health & safety and we are deeply worried for the welfare of the 12 men that are still living there.
The following are incidents which we are aware of:

• Ceilings leaking, and water running down through light fixtures.
• Water running down the walls of bedrooms when the shower on the floor above is turned on.
• A bedroom shared by two men has no door on the en-suite. The toilet and shower are visible from the bedroom and there is no privacy for the occupants.
• Residents were told by management to fix the ceiling and water leak in their room themselves and given power tools to do it.
• Rodents have been spotted in bedrooms.
• Lack of adequate heating or hot water during the winter months — 1 hour per day of hot water.
• Two former residents have alleged that they were assaulted by the owner of the Hostel. On one of these occasions we had to assist a man who was assaulted to make a complaint to Gardaí and this complaint has also been sent to IPAS. He was deeply traumatised by the assault and suffered bruises and cuts to his face and neck and was transferred to a new centre in a different county against his will the morning following the alleged assault.
• The residents have consistently complained that their food is substandard and provided photos to evidence this — they are served Fried chicken, rice and chips every day.
• There is a lack of clean drinking water available to them in the Central Hostel.
• There is no area for exercise within the facility and recreational space is not sufficient premium with only a bar/pool room area available.
• The men we have engaged with have reported that they fear or are intimidated by Centre management and so feel unable to speak out.

We have photographic or video evidence of many of these incidents.

We feel it is also relevant to note that since the onset of the Covid-19 the owner who resides in the hostel with his wife has told the men he does not want them going outside — this is a contravention of the men's civil liberties- the men who lack light, space and recreational facilities in the Central Hostel should be afforded the same rights to exercise, meet with up to 4 people not from their household, play certain sports all within 5km of their home, attend work if they have employment which has been allowed to recommence, and shop for essential goods as the rest of the population.
When the centre opened in 2019 the owner posted notices saying that residents must be in their rooms each night by 10.pm a restriction which he later removed only as a result of pressure from the local community. The same owner has also been extremely hostile towards local people who have tried to send food and sundries to the men and has prevented this from happening. He has disposed of food donated by the community to the men. He has refused to allow the men accept drinking water from the local people. They are not allowed to receive any outside help and knowing as we do, that these men are cold and hungry in their accommodation we are powerless to help them and are not willing to remain silent about their treatment in our community.

Various members of our group have reported the issues regarding the men's treatment in the Central Hostel to your Department, to you as Minister and to IPAS to no apparent effect.

We are asking you now to please, as a matter of urgency, look after the Health, Safety and Welfare of these men, and close this premises with immediate effect. We intend to make the contents of this letter public and address it to the Ombudsman as well as our local TDs.

We request strongly that you act now to remedy this situation and provide suitable accommodation and supports to the men involved.

We look forward to your response.

Yours Sincerely,

Miltown Malbay Welcome Group