*Magowna House.
A TWELVE MONTH CONTRACT is to be provided to the owners of Magowna House with the three star hotel in Inch set to take in 69 asylum seekers.
The Clare Echo has learned that 69 male International protection applicants are to be accommodated across the 19 rooms at Magowna House. The exact length of their stay has not been determined but the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth have offered a twelve month contract to the operators.
Officials in the Department expect the building to come into use shortly. Residents will be provided with a full board service that includes three meals per day and snacks. An approximate three members of staff will be on site each day attending to the needs of residents.
Magowna House is owned by Ocaolside Ltd, a lease is in place with CRM Properties Limited. This is the first time that the provider has provided accommodation to IPAS. Clare County Council have been informed of the new use of the facility.
International protection applicants are eligible to work from six months after their arrival in Ireland, most of the residents in Inch will be new arrivals. Any individual residing in IPAS accommodation is entitled to a medical card. They can also avail of English language classes from the local Education Training Board.
An adult resident receives an allowance of €38.80 per week. Other assistance from the Department of Social Protection, such as bus fares to attend appointments, is available at the discretion of the local community welfare officer.
An International protection applicant is not entitled to apply for or avail of social housing or the Housing Assistance Payment while their claim for asylum is being determined by the International Protection Office (IPO).
Across the country, more than 135 accommodation locations have been utilised in 2022 across 23 counties.
Clare TD, Michael McNamara (IND) has bemoaned the lack of information and consultation issued to the public. “I’m very disappointed in the manner in which it was done, I asked a month ago what was happening, I asked the relevant Minister Roderic O’Gorman and I have put in follow up requests but only today we find out that 69 people will be going into the 19 rooms. We’ve received absolutely no information or consultation as to what additional services will be provided to the community”.
He told The Clare Echo, “the addition of 70 people in town the size of Miltown Malbay or Scariff would be a sizeable addition never mind a much smaller community like Inch”. “It is a very bad way of doing business,” Deputy McNamara said of the Department’s approach.
Lack of engagement by the Department will result in fears among the local community on the impact to existing services. “It’s much more than public consultation that is needed,” the Scariff native commented. What happens to local health services and whether additional transport will be provided in the locality needs to be outlined, he said.
