Eighty per cent of residents in a Co Meath direct-provision centre have already received refugee status but are unable to move out due to lack of alternative accommodation, an inspection report by Hiqa has found.
At Mosney international protection centre, inspectors found that 702 of the 875 residents had received refugee or subsidiary protection status.
Of these, 250 residents had received notice to leave by July 2024 to seek private accommodation outside the centre.
The Department of Integration has sent 3,004 letters since September 2022 to those granted permission to remain in Ireland but who have not yet secured private housing, requesting they seek alternative accommodation.
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However, “due to the lack of alternative accommodation options, some residents told inspectors they could not avail of more appropriate alternative accommodation and were anxious as a result,” the Hiqa inspection report said.
A further seven inspection reports were published on Wednesday, including a follow-up inspection of St Patrick’s Centre in Co Monaghan, where there were “substantial improvements” on the previous visit by Hiqa.
“This was driven by a fundamental shift in service delivery, which was informed by the findings from the previous inspection in January 2024. The remaining centres inspected had relatively low levels of, if any, noncompliance,” a statement from Hiqa said.
Inspectors found examples of good practice across the inspections, including facilities for cooking and preparing meals; support with integration into local communities; and access to educational, health and social supports.
In one centre, a support group for refugee and migrant women was founded, and a member of the group was nominated for an award in recognition of commitment to community and voluntary activity.
However, there was some “low-level” noncompliance in some centres, mainly involving a lack of Garda vetting of staff.
At St Patrick’s in Co Monaghan, the provider had “failed to ensure that recruitment practices in the centre were safe and effective”.
“There were no updated Garda vetting for four members of staff and no international police clearances for two staff members,” the report said.
At Basin Lodge in Co Dublin, Garda vetting had not been completed for some staff members.
At Temple Accommodation Centre in Co Westmeath, international police checks were not on file for staff members who had lived or worked abroad for more than six months.
“While all staff members had the appropriate Garda vetting, the service provider was not assured that all support workers visiting the centre have the appropriate Garda vetting. An urgent compliance was issued following the inspection to address these concerns,” the Hiqa report said.
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