Tag Archives: Knockalisheen

Refugee and migrant rights organisation Doras has expressed grave concern about moving more than 80 international protection applicants into tents in Knockalisheen, Meelick. As sub zero temperatures returned in Clare, Irish Refugee Council chief executive officer, Nick Henderson said it is a matter of real concern that refugees find themselves back in this position in Ireland, which is one of the richest countries in the EU. Notwithstanding the accommodation challenges, he said that placing refugees in tents is not acceptable. “This is disappointing, given Minister O’Gorman’s assurances in December that tented accommodation would cease to operate,” said Doras CEO John Lannon. “Less than four weeks later they’re back in operation. As a result, it’s very difficult to be optimistic about the government’s response to the need to provide stable and safe accommodation for refugees.” “We’ve seen the tents. They’re cold and damp. People have to go outside to get to the toilets. They certainly don’t meet people’s basic needs. And …

CLARE TD Cathal Crowe said that there has been some disquiet in the Meelick area after a man involved in a violent incident at a direct provision centre in Kerry was granted bail, on condition that they reside at the centre in Meelick. “A few locals have been on to me about it and are not happy. This morning I contacted the Chief Superintendent’s Office at Henry Street in Limerick and asked him for clarification on this. I’ve also asked that they would have some oversight of this,” said Deputy Crowe. Deputy Crowe said that there is a need to be careful about the accommodation of people leaving troubled countries. “There was an incident, maybe four years ago, where a male, a very nice man, was fearful of his life. He was being accommodated in a room or dormitory close to other men, who his people were locked in a conflict with in his home country. “By night he was …

DEPUTY Cathal Crowe has fired a shot across the bow of government policy by calling for an end to the allocation of more Ukrainian refugees in Clare due to the lack of suitable accommodation. While Deputy Crowe stressed he agreed that the Banner County should take as many refugees as possible, there was now a point where these refugees were sleeping on airport floors and new tents in Meelick. The Fianna Fáil Deputy said Ukrainian refugees needed a roof over their heads, education, transport, health provision and pastoral care to deal with the trauma of coming from a war-torn country. He believes the government is now doing a “disservice” to these refugees by not properly meeting their needs and by proceeding to accommodate them in tents on a so-called temporary basis, which is likely to continue for months due to the lack of permanent dwellings. The provision of tented facilities for up to new 100 asylum seekers in Meelick has …

THE provision of tented facilities for up to new 100 asylum seekers in Meelick has prompted concern about “two-tier” accommodation. Clare Immigrant Support Centre co-ordinator, Orla Ní Éilí is worried short-term emergency accommodation could be in place for months or years in a worst case scenario. “This is very worrying. Asylum seekers in the Knockalisheen Accommodation Centre can hang out in their bedroom whereas up to ten asylum seekers could be living in one tent. “It is introducing a new two-tier accommodation system for asylum seekers.” It is understood the tents in Knockalisheen will be used to accommodate single, asylum-seeking men. Ms Ní Éilí said people are coming to Ireland seeking asylum from several different war-torn countries because transport has opened up again following the Covid-19 pandemic. The Knockalisheen Accommodation Centre accommodates about 200 people including families. Clare Immigrant Support Centre along with other organisations working with the Ukrainian community and the international protection community are concerned about the provision …

SUBCONTRACTORS and construction suppliers throughout Clare are owed substantial sums of money following the announcement construction giant Roadbridge is going into receivership, leaving the future of its 630 workforce and a further 1,000 indirect positions in jeopardy. The Limerick-headquartered civil engineering and construction firm, which traded for over half a century, sent shock waves throughout the Mid-West when it requested Bank of Ireland on Friday to appoint Grant Thornton as receivers as result of insurmountable financial challenges. This decision also places a major question mark over when projects like the €58 million Coonagh to Knockalisheen Road will be fully completed following the company’s serious financial difficulties. Residents in South-East Clare are becoming increasingly concerned this unexpected setback will result in years of a delay or may even scupper the project entirely for the foreseeable future. It is understood half of the first phase of this major piece of road infrastructure is properly finished. Concerns had been raised when the company, …

A NEW transformational development costing an estimated €400 million across three key sites in Limerick City will generate major economic benefits for South-East Clare. That’s according to Deputy Cathal Crowe, who revealed plans will be unveiled in the near future for the development of a new industrial zone near Knockalisheen, Meelick. Limerick City and County Council has announced a new transformational development proposal across three key sites in Limerick City in an investment worth in the region of €400 million. This new development will include a new state-of-the-art medical facility and will see the creation of over 200 construction jobs across the sites. Some 108 new one to four bed affordable and social housing units are also included in this major project. The three key sites are in Thomondgate, Hyde Road Park and Coonagh, which is located on the Limerick Clare border. Deputy Crowe predicted there would also be an announcement in the near future about the provision of a …

A CLARE-based advocate for those seeking asylum in Ireland has said he remains hopeful that plans to end Direct Provision by 2023 will succeed, despite considerable opposition from the Department of Housing. South African national Bulelani Mfaco, who lives in Knockalisheen, is a member of an expert group, led by Dr Catherine Day. In October, the panel published a report calling for a new asylum system to be put in place over the next three years. The plan recommends housing applicants in a State-owned centre for three months, then helping them to move to own-door accommodation with the support of a scheme similar to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). While Mr Mfaco and fellow members of the advisory panel argue that the proposed system would lead to cost savings for the State and more humane living conditions for asylum seekers, there is considerable resistance from the Department of Housing. Submissions by the department said the plan has the potential to …

NEW figures showing that Clare is among the counties with the largest number of applications for asylum have prompted concerns over the relatively high concentration of people living in Direct Provision here. With 378 applications from people living in this county, Clare ranks fourth in the latest data. Three counties – Cork, Meath and Kerry – have a greater number of applications. According to Bulelani Mfaco of the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI), the number of applications reflects the relatively high number of Direct Provision centres located in Clare, as well as the level of overcrowding within them. “There is a high concentration of asylum seekers in the county between the centres at Knockalisheen, Ennis and Lisdoonvarna,” said Mr Mfaco who is lives at the Knockalisheen centre in Meelick. “That is why the figure for Clare is so high. There is also the issue of the rate of occupancy of the centres to consider. At one point, there …