Politics

Government is shaking up the refugee accommodation system but sustainable solution still some way off

Asking a UN agency for assistance shows the gravity of the situation

Refugees from Ukraine arrive at a train station in Przemysl, Poland. Photograph: Darek Delmanowicz/EPA

Jack Horgan-Jones's face
Jack Horgan-Jones
Sat Mar 4 2023 - 05:00

For months, critics have bemoaned – with good reason – the short-term nature of the State’s response to the refugee crisis.

Part of addressing this has always been moving from an emergency response to a more sustainable approach to accommodating the tens of thousands of people seeking refuge in Ireland. It is far from a done deal but there are signs that a meaningful change is under way.

On Friday, the Cabinet signed off on a plan to allot €20 million to a “proof of concept” for large scale accommodation. It is a drop in the ocean compared to what has been spent, and will be spent in the future. But the size of the budget allocation belies the broader importance of Friday’s decisions.

The €15 million is to provide 400-plus beds in what is being termed an “expanded scope modular programme” on three sites, with the balance of €5 million given to feasibility studies on another two sites. The five sites are: Thornton Hall, Columb Barracks, the Central Mental Hospital, and existing International Protection facilities at Knockalisheen and Athlone. It is not clear which sites are to be progressed first, and which need further feasibility studies, but sources indicated that Thornton Hall is the priority. The programme won’t be confined to modular building either, with some purchase of buildings and refurbishment possible.

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However, the real importance here is the fact that these are pathfinders: briefing papers for ministers outline how it is expected advancing these projects will “throw up a variety of issues to be resolved”. There is a reference to the use of “temporary modular pods”; the Government is also considering modular homes with a shorter, 30-year lifespan compared to those originally planned for, which last 60 years. But behind these proof-of-concept sites, a much larger project is looming into view: this will consist of identifying suitable properties for purchase, leasing and refurbishment.

While papers drawn up for Cabinet outlined that 178 projects have been assessed for refurbishment already, with potential identified to house 2,450 people this year, the warning to ministers was stark: that demands are such that the “current programme strands for accommodation delivery will be insufficient in the immediate and the longer term. A different approach will be required to deliver at the scale and speed of demand”.

here is an indication that a wider overhaul may be coming down the tracks, with ministers told that scoping work is under way on a migration agency

Part of this will be a shake-up of the system. A group operating in the Department of the Taoiseach, the Accommodation Working Group, led by the former chief executive of Limerick City and County Council Conn Murray, has been given funding and latitude to develop projects. This may involve combining the refugee programme with the existing plan to reform direct provision. Planning reforms will be needed. The budget will be €50 million in 2023, drawn from the existing Department of Housing budget – but more is likely to be needed later in the year, and sources indicated at least another €50 million will be needed for 2024. There is an indication that a wider overhaul may be coming down the tracks, with ministers told that scoping work is under way on a migration agency “which will look after the accommodation and integration needs of migration into the future” – this, sources say, is an idea outlined in the White Paper on ending Direct Provision.

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While it looks like progress, it is unlikely to be enough. As The Irish Times reports today, the immediate accommodation crunch is coming down the tracks: 1,600 people in hotels, including families, will begin to receive letters telling them their temporary accommodation is coming to an end – there is no more information over the exactly where they will be reaccommodated. The Department of Integration says there are “very significant shortages” of accommodation. It is being forced to consider all options for accommodation currently, including tented accommodation, office buildings and sports facilities, a Department spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, the Government has also contacted a UN agency, the International Organisation for Migration seeking what the body describes as “assistance with emergency accommodation”. While formal discussions have not taken place, the prospect of UN assistance gives an indication of the gravity of the situation. It is likely to be many months before the framework sketched out for ministers is fully on stream.

After a year, progress is being made – but a lasting resolution to the problem is still hard to grasp.

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