The minister with responsibility for integration and equality said steps will be taken to ensure staff and service users at the temporary international asylum seeker centre in Killarney will be safe and secure.
This following a number of incidents at the centre on Sunday night which led to a number of people appearing in court this Tuesday.
Minister Roderic O’Gorman said he was liaising with An Garda Siochana on the matter and “measures will be taken in the immediate term” to deal with the issues.
“I can’t go into greater detail right now in terms of that. A garda investigation is taking place and we will be taking steps as well,” he added.
Minister O’Gorman said he had discussed the matter with acting Justice Minister, Simon Harris, and that the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) has been in touch with management at Hotel Killarney.
While stating that he did not wish to minimise what happened at the hotel on Sunday night, Minister O’Gorman said it was important to note that it was one incident where a small number of people got involved in criminal actions and, in response, the criminal justice system is now at play.
“As serious as this incident is, it has to be understood in the wider context of this year and the context of international protection applicants being in Ireland for many years and incidents like what happened in Killarney being extremely isolated,” he stated.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Mr O’Gorman acknowledged that it was a major challenge to find accommodation for the combined total of 73,000 Ukrainian refugees and asylum seeker applicants and that alternative options would have to be examined, including the building of modular homes and the refurbishment of large institutional buildings and barracks.
He confirmed that in the 12-day period from December 23rd to January 2nd, 800 Ukrainians and 570 international protection applicants arrived in Ireland and all had been accommodated.
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