Minister Roderic O'Gorman "can't rule out" refugees sleeping on the street

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O'Gorman, has said that refugees arriving into Ireland having to sleep on the street is something he cannot rule out.

The Citywest facility that was temporarily housing Ukrainians and other arrivals has now reached it's capacity and will have to close it's doors.

Minister O'Gorman's department yesterday explained that the Citywest Transit Hub have paused arrivals due to the “significant increase in the number of people seeking accommodation in recent weeks."

Over 58,000 people (42,000 Ukrainian, 16,000 International Protection) are now being accommodated in Ireland, the department confirmed.

Designed as a reception centre for Ukrainians fleeing war, Citywest is where arrivals into the country were bused for processing. Now, many refugees may have to sleep overnight in Dublin Airport.

O'Gorman spoke to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland earlier today, saying: “We are making clear we’re not in a position to guarantee everyone an offer of accommodation.

“What we will do is prioritise vulnerable people, we’ll prioritise women and children in terms of the provision of accommodation and for those who we are not able to offer accommodation to we will work with NGOs to provide some services to them.”

The Department will “keep in contact with them and when accommodation is available again, we will let them known so they can rejoin the process," O'Gorman has assured.

The Minister was pressed on whether he though there is a danger that people will have to sleep on the streets. He replied, saying: “I can’t rule that out.”

O'Gorman continued: “That’s why we’re speaking very clearly today and engaging with the Ukrainian embassy in terms of letting people know that there is a major constraint on capacity, particularly next week. It’s not that we have no accommodation available, but we don’t have enough accommodation available."

According to the Minister, an overnight facility in Dublin Airport will be made available from Monday.

Over the past number of months a significant number of arrivals, particularly Ukrainian refugees, have been landing in Dublin on late night flights, the Minister has found.

“So the idea would be there rather than them being immediately transferred to Citywest, that they would be accommodation in Dublin Airport overnight and transferred to Citywest the next day,” explained O'Gorman.

Later on in the interview, the Minister admitted he can’t guarantee the current over-crowding situation won’t happen again, going into the winter, particularly if numbers remain as high.

Back in May, the Citywest Hotel in Dublin was leased by the Government for a period of two years to accommodate Ukrainian refugees.

The Integration Department revealed it's working urgently with agencies, NGOs, local authorities, and Government, to source new accommodation so that the State’s humanitarian responsibilities can be met to both IPs and those from Ukraine.

Irish Refugee Council CEO, Nick Henderson, also spoke to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland today, saying that “this is a most, most serious situation.

It really represents a breakdown in the reception of refugees, both Ukrainian and people seeking protection here in Ireland."

Henderson warned that the Government has feared this situation for many months, along with civil society organisations, such as the IRC.

The CEO added: “It has been predictable as gradually accommodation options across the country have run out and Citywest has become fuller and fuller and then finally yesterday reached the capacity. It’s time enough now that one agency within one government department has had to carry out responsibility for this.

“The international protection accommodation service has led in trying to find accommodation but now is the time, in what really is a very serious humanitarian emergency, for other Government departments to take their responsibilities, fulfil their responsibilities, to support people seeking protection in Ireland.”