Fresh drive to buy up derelict properties amid chronic shortage of beds for asylum-seekers
The Government has launched a drive to buy or rent empty properties from landlords, developers and builders to help house record numbers of asylum-seekers.
The Department of Integration is looking for buildings that either need extensive renovation or are in usable condition.
A tender for expressions of interest has been put out.
It comes after a major operation in Dublin to move hundreds of asylum-seekers who had been sleeping in a large encampment of tents in the city centre.
A government source acknowledged there were “very severe challenges” in accommodating men seeking international protection.
The new tender reads: “The department is seeking expressions of interest from property owners, private developers and building contractors who are interested in selling or leasing: existing properties/buildings in turnkey condition; existing properties that require upgrading/refurbishment/renovation.
“All properties acquired through this expression-of-interest process will be to provide accommodation for international protection (IP) applicants and must be on the terms of vacant possession.”
Developers, builders and property owners have until the end of next April to submit their expressions of interest.
However, the move comes at a time of unprecedented demand for homes on the private market amid a shortage of supply for buyers. The Government is also considering cutting social welfare rates for all Ukrainians who are here already.
There are only 1,184 permanent State-owned beds for international protection applicants.
The Government wants to increase this to 13,000 under long-term plans to accommodate asylum-seekers.
Currently, there are more than 20,800 beds for asylum-seekers in emergency accommodation and an additional 6,173 permanent beds, both on a commercial basis.
Separately, it has emerged that gardaí will arrest asylum-seekers who return to pitch tents in the city centre, but only if they commit a criminal offence such as trespass or public order.
“Arrests will be made when there is a legal basis for it – there was two arrests made yesterday, for example,” a source said.
“The big issue in the Dublin 2 area where the tents were located were criminal complaints of trespassing in relation to public and private entities – any complaint made to An Garda Síochána will be fully investigated.”
Early yesterday, the operation got under way on Mount Street to move up to 200 asylum-seekers to facilities at Citywest and Crooksling.
A total of 60 international protection applicants were transported last night from Crooksling, Co Dublin, to the Co Wicklow site at River Lodge, also known as Trudder House, in Newtownmountkennedy.
The HSE-owned site has been the scene of protests in recent weeks after local people opposed plans to house asylum-seekers there.
Government sources said gardaí would be asked to ensure camps do not return to the city.
Taoiseach Simon Harris has said the situation on Mount Street had become “completely unacceptable”.
He thanked the state agencies involved in the removal of the ‘tent city’.
In a statement, he said: “The international protection applicants have been taken to safe shelter with appropriate sanitary facilities, hot food, a clean place to eat, access to medical help and a bus link to Dublin city centre.
“The laws of our land must always be upheld, and we cannot have unsafe and illegal encampments in our cities or towns.”
Separately, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak urged the Irish Government not to send gardaí into border areas amid a row over asylum-seekers crossing from the North into the Republic.
Mr Sunak said Dublin “must uphold its promises” to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland and avoid setting up checkpoints to prevent asylum-seekers entering the country.
Diplomatic tensions between London and Dublin increased in recent days after Justice Minister Helen McEntee claimed there had been an upsurge in asylum-seekers crossing the Border following the passing of the UK’s Safety of Rwanda Act.
Answering questions in the House of Commons, Mr Sunak said ministers were seeking “urgent clarification that there will be no disruption or police checkpoints at or near the Border” and that there must not be “cherry-picking of important international agreements”.
The Taoiseach later confirmed no gardaí would be sent to border areas.
Asked whether the UK government had sought clarification from Dublin that there would be no police checkpoints at the Border, Mr Harris said: “I have no idea, but of course there won’t be.”
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