A full security review of all IPAS centres will be carried out swiftly following an arson attack on a facility in Drogheda, according to the Minister of State for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.
Five people, including four children and a baby, were rescued from the upper floor of the building that accommodates International Protection applicants on Friday night, reports RTE.
Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week programme, Colm Brophy said that ensuring safety must be the top priority and that every centre will be examined as quickly as possible.
Mr Brophy described the incident as a “truly shocking crime” and said the footage he viewed was “truly shocking” and that placing an accelerant on a staircase would have severe consequences for anyone attempting to escape, reports RTE.
Images obtained by The Sunday Times show the blaze being ignited in the hallway of the centre.
Earlier, a woman residing in the IPAS centre in Drogheda where the fire was intentionally started said her children are fortunate to be alive, reports RTE.
The woman, originally from Ghana, said she is finding it difficult to sleep as she keeps replaying the events of that night in her mind.
In a statement, gardaà said: “Following initial reports of the fire being started by the discharge of fireworks, investigations by An Garda SÃochána to date indicate that the fire was started deliberately by person or persons unknown, reports RTE.”
“This was an extremely dangerous act endangering the lives of the residents, including children, who were in their home at the time,” reports RTE.
It is believed that an accelerant was used to ignite the stairs inside the building.
Speaking to RTÉ News, the woman said she was outside the property waiting for her children, aged eight and twelve, to be rescued by the fire service, reports RTE.
“The children could have died,” she said, reports RTE.
Becoming emotional, she said she cannot understand how someone could commit such an act.
“How can somebody be so mean?” she asked, reports RTE.
The woman and her family are now being housed in temporary accommodation, and she is uncertain whether her children will return to school tomorrow.
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Several individuals were taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda after the incident on Friday night, though none are believed to have suffered serious injuries, reports RTE.
Authorities are now making new arrangements for the 28 residents left without homes following the attack.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said he had received an updated briefing from gardaà and assured that those responsible will face justice, reports RTE.
Gardaà are appealing for witnesses or anyone who was in the Georges Street area of Drogheda between 7.30pm and 8.20pm on Friday and who might have relevant information to contact Drogheda Garda Station on 041 9874200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.
Local Fine Gael councillor Ejiro O’Hare said the building housed residents from countries including Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Algeria, reports RTE.
Ms O’Hare, who is Nigerian and has lived in Drogheda for more than 24 years, said she knows several of the affected residents personally.
As the assistant director of nursing at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, she visited some of the displaced families over the weekend and brought them clothes, reports RTE.
“When I was talking to the two mothers, the children ran towards me and said ‘auntie, is that individual going to be in prison?… he nearly killed us’,” she said, reports RTE.
“I said to them ‘you know what children? I always say justice will be done, and somebody deserves it, he will get what he deserves’,” Ms O’Hare said, reports RTE.
She added that those responsible for the fire do not reflect the values or character of the Drogheda community.
Ms O’Hare said one woman, who had just given birth by caesarean section 20 days earlier, was caught up in the blaze with her newborn, reports RTE.
The same woman also has a 17-month-old and two older children.
“She only has two hands. She can’t carry all four of them. And then you have two other children who were trapped, who their mother was outside watching the fire going on,” Ms O’Hare said, reports RTE.
“The thing is that no matter how many people that were trapped in the fire, it shouldn’t have happened,” she added, reports RTE.
Ms O’Hare said members of the migrant community are fearful, as some have recently faced verbal abuse in public.
“I was walking on the street and somebody said to my 10 years old child… I was holding her, and they said ‘go back to your country. Why are you here?’,” she said, reports RTE.
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