*Photograph: Páraic McMahon
INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION applicants will not be housed at the Irish college in Carrigaholt.
An offer was received by the Department of Children, Equality Disability, Integration & Youth for Coláiste Uí Chomhraidhe in Carraigaholt to be utilised to house asylum seekers but this was rejected.
Last June, the board of Coláiste Eoghan Uí Chomhraidhe in Carraigaholt entered discussions with Clare County Council with a view to repurposing the building for Asylum Seeker accommodation for up to five years.
Minister for Children, Equality Disability, Integration & Youth, Roderic O’Gorman (GP) in response to a parliamentary question from Clare TD, Michael McNamara (IND) confirmed that the Carrigaholt college was not going to be used.
He stated, “The significant challenges faced in meeting the accommodation needs of all those fleeing the war in Ukraine, as well as people applying for international protection, has required a whole of government response to identify possible accommodation. Offers which require refurbishment are now considered under the auspices of the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage (DHLGH) refurbishment programme. As part of the refurbishment programme, DHLGH works closely with the local authorities to assess and progress viable State and private commercial offers of accommodation in line with the Guidelines for Temporary Accommodation.
“While an offer was received for Carrigaholt Irish College, Kilcredaun, Carrigaholt Village, Co. Clare, under the Emergency Refurbishment Ukraine Programme (ERUP), this property is not currently under consideration for accommodation of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection,” he concluded.
