The father of an infant who died after being scalded with boiling water at a hotel for asylum-seekers has called for an upgrading of accommodation for families in direct provision.
Speaking at the inquest in Cork yesterday into his seven-month-old son Soluman's death, Mr Bakary Dembele spoke of his anger at what he believed was an accident waiting to happen.
"I feel very angry because the room was too small for our family. If my family was in a bigger room we could have saved Soluman from danger."
The Coroner's Court was told the child died on March 6th when he pulled the contents of a boiling kettle on top of himself. It emerged yesterday that there was not a surface table or counter top at the facility on which the Ivory Coast family could place a kettle.
The infant's mother, Mariam, said she and her husband had requested a larger room as they did not think the 13ft by 9ft room was suitable.
However, they claim the request was turned down by management at the Ashbourne House hotel, which is on the outskirts of Cork city.
She said the family had lived in Kenmare, Co Kerry, but had moved to Cork so that their child could receive regular treatment at a local hospital for a club foot.
A verdict of accidental death was recorded.