Refugees unable to move on from centre due to lack of accommodation
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A report has found that 80% of residents at an International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centre had received refugee or subsidiary protection status but were unable to move on due to lack of accommodation options.
An inspection report carried out by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) at Mosney Village in Co Meath also found that 250 residents had received notice to leave by July 2024 to seek private accommodation outside the centre.
Residents told inspectors that being unable to avail of more appropriate alternative accommodation was a source of anxiety for them.
Separately, some residents at Mosney Village identified privacy and dignity concerns largely related to the shared bedrooms for older related teenagers, saying that it was an area that needed improvement.
The majority of residents said they felt safe in their accommodation and inspectors reported positively on the efforts to integrate the residents within the community.
An example of this is the 600-seat church which is used for special services that are attended by residents and members of the local community.
Residents of other faiths are also accommodated with a mosque and multi-faith prayer rooms.
In another report published by Hiqa, St Patrick's Centre in Co Monaghan was found to have substantially improved following a previous inspection in January.
The unannounced follow-up inspection found that the centre had assumed control over a pest infestation that had been identified.
While the infestation had not been eliminated entirely, both residents and inspectors were satisfied with the actions taken by the centre to address the issue.
While improvements had been made, residents raised a number of issues with Hiqa inspectors including the issue of overcrowding in some rooms.
Some residents were not satisfied that they were required to buy their own freezers to store their food.
The inspection found that the kitchen facilities were locked and residents were required to collect a key to enter with the centre saying the measure was to prevent children from playing in the kitchen.
Access to kitchens was an issue also raised by residents in Temple Accommodation Centre in Co Westmeath where they said the opening times were restrictive and negatively impacted them, particularly those who were working or attending college.
The kitchen was not open early enough to allow residents to prepare food before heading out for the day and was closed at 8pm after which time they were not able to access food storage areas or fridges to put away food.
The centre committed to consulting with residents to figure out how best to facilitate their needs.
Hiqa released a total of seven inspection reports and overall the residents in the centres reported feeling happy and safe in their accommodation with staff members praised for their "person-centred approach".
Most residents felt empowered to raise issues and make complaints and felt heard when they did so.
One resident in The Old Convent in Co Mayo said that "staff are like family, they listen to your queries and we feel we are treated with respect here".
Hiqa said the centres largely had relatively low levels, if any, of non-compliance.