The vast majority of the 80 residents in a male-only direct provision centre for asylum seekers in Tralee were refusing food yesterday for the second day.
The Irish Refugee Council has criticised the response of the Reception and Integration Agency to the men's complaints and said it was aware of ongoing issues at the centre.
The men, aged in their 20s to 50s, are residents of Atlas House, a former tourist hostel in the town centre and one of three direct provision centres in Tralee. Those who are suffering from medical conditions were continuing to eat, their spokesmen said, but in all around 60 men were on hunger strike.
Yesterday, spokesmen for the men, representing more than 30 nationalities, said they wanted officials from the Reception and Integration Agency and the Department of Justice to visit them and to see for themselves "the conditions we live in". They would continue their fast until their request was met.
They staged a public protest through the town centre on Wednesday night. Some of the men have been in the hostel for more than a year, some had been there close to two years.
Gráinne Landers, co-ordinator of Trasnet, the Tralee refugee and asylum-seekers' support network, which acts as a support and drop-in centre for immigrants, said she received regular complaints about Atlas House, particularly over the past 10 months, and had been in contact with the centre over the issues raised by the residents.
There were three centres in Tralee - Atlas House and Johnston Marina, both owned by the Department of Justice, and the privately owned Westwood House. However Atlas House was "the one hostel" she received constant complaints about, Ms Landers said.
It was time to resolve the issues and this could be done with the help of the Irish Refugee Council. Some 40 men had gathered outside her offices to appeal for help on Wednesday, Ms Landers added.
Tony, a spokesman for the protesters, yesterday said they were looking "for respect" and they had problems with visiting and other restrictions as well as the attitudes of management and some staff at the centre. They also had problems with the food they were given.
Playing pool was the only facility along with a television room in the centre. Visitors, male or female, were confined to the reception area and could not have a game of pool or visit their rooms, Tony (35) said.
Their diet varied little. For their evening meal they were mostly given rice, which was often not cooked properly, along with cod that sometimes stank and meat that again was often inedible, he claimed. Tony said there was a great sense of unity among the men in the hostel, none of whom had any family in this country, and who had to rely on each other. He denied there was any intimidation.
The Reception and Integration Agency has strongly rejected the men's claims and has ruled out visiting the protesters.
Peter O'Mahony, chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council said the agency "has been absolutely deaf" to complaints about Atlas House and a small number of other centres and automatically described complaints as "unfounded".