Officials fear rising tensions at the CityWest transit hub could spill over into Ramadan, when fasting Muslims eat at night while other residents sleep.
The warning is contained in documents provided to ministers ahead of a meeting of the cabinet subcommittee on crisis response in Ukraine, which also looks at the wider issue of housing refugees.
Ministers have been warned that tensions are rising between different ethnic and religious groups at the transit hub, which has been closed to new arrivals since January. More than 730 people sleep in the 600-bed hub, reports Irish Times.
Ministers were told that some people slept in chairs for several weeks at a time, with staff now working to prevent Ramadan from exacerbating existing tensions – officials naturally fear that those who do not celebrate Ramadan Adheres, those eaten at night can disturb those who are trying to sleep.
Officials told ministers that the number of people without beds is likely to rise over the next month, as demand from people entering the country as well as those leaving accommodation outstrips the number of hotel beds that can be filled through new contracts. can come into operation, reports Irish Times.
While protests against the settlement of refugees or asylum seekers have not been high-profile in recent weeks, ministers were told of a protest last week at Mullingar barracks where modular housing is being developed. Protesters chained the barrack gate and blocked a bus of applicants for international protection from entering.
Meanwhile, the Department of Housing and the City and County Managers’ Association have been asked to identify ‘rest centre’ type accommodation for those in outsourced administration who are allowed to remain in the country, reports Irish Times.
The government has written to these people several times over the past year, with more letters expected soon – the cabinet subcommittee has been told that 150 more are expected, reports Irish Times.
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