Water entered the tents of some International Protection Applicants staying in the Crooksling accommodation site in Saggart, north Dublin during yesterday’s yellow wind and weather warning.
A number of those living in tents on the IPAS (International Protection Accommodation Service) run site reached out to volunteers yesterday evening asking for help as their beds and belongings were wet.
One resident told RTÉ News last night that people on the site were not offered any other shelter during the weather warning.
“They are in their tents. Where would they where they go? Tents are their only option,” he said.
“The tent tarpaulins are tipping in water on everything, on the beds, the pillows, the duvets” he said, “on clothing, shoes, bags, on everything”.
He has been living in Crooksling for a number of weeks and said that this was the worst it had been since he had arrived, but he is concerned about deteriorating weather conditions.
“We will be here more than three or four months, and winter is coming,” he said.
Photos taken inside some of the tents this morning, seen by RTÉ News, show sheets tied along the bottom of tent ceilings that are still visibly damp.
“We put these sheets to stop the water tipping on beds” one resident told RTÉ News.
A spokesperson for the Department of Integration said that “all IPAS centres that provide accommodation in tented structures are required to have contingency plans in place for severe weather events.
“This includes moving residents into hard walled structures during adverse weather, if necessary,” they said.
“The tented structures used are designed to cope with severe weather conditions, including high winds and heavy rain,” they said, adding that “residents are provided with additional duvets on request and any wet bedding is replaced.”
The spokesperson also said that the department monitors weather conditions that may affect those living in tents and that in addition to staying in regular contact with site managers, an out of hours phone service was in operation.
Latest figures from the International Protection Accommodation Service show that as of last Sunday there were 957 adult asylum seekers living in five State operated tented accommodation sites.
There are two of these sites in Dublin, in Crooksling and on the grounds of the former Central Mental Hospital site in Dundrum.
There is also one in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow, one in Knockalisheen in Co Clare and another at Columb Barracks in Mullingar, Co Westmeath.
According to the latest figures published by the Department of Integration, 2,746 new International Protection Applicants have not been offered any State provided accommodation.
Volunteer Olivia Headon said some unaccommodated asylum seekers rough sleeping on the banks of a river in Dublin had to move their tents overnight because the rain caused the river to rise and flood the path.
Ms Headon said that volunteers were also concerned about the conditions for those living in State-run tented accommodation sites like Crooksling.
“You are outside all the time, even in emergency (tented) accommodation,” Ms Headon said.
“Even during the summer it was cold in Crooksling and volunteers are very worried about the months to come, so volunteers in the local area and throughout Dublin have gotten together to supply extra blankets, gloves and hats and hot water bottles,” she said.
