The Taoiseach said that an inquiry was under way to find those who used violence against homeless asylum seekers in Dublin over the weekend so that they could be brought to justice.
Leo Varadkar said he was “shocked and horrified” by the destruction of a camp in Dublin city centre over the past few days which was providing homes for people seeking international protection.
Clashes broke out between anti-immigration protesters and Gardaí after protesters marched to the International Protection Office on Moat Street in Dublin city centre over the weekend.
Mr Varadkar said the victims were people and should not be treated in the same way as protesters.
“I condemn it unreservedly. I know the Garda Commissioner is involved and is carrying out a full investigation to find who is responsible and they are brought to justice so they cannot harm anybody else,” he said, reports RTE.
There are currently 520 newly arrived asylum seekers without state accommodation.
The Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Inclusion and Youth has released figures at the end of business tonight.
That’s an increase of about 40 on the 480 who remained without government shelter on Friday night, reports RTE.
Justice Secretary Simon Harris said that an arrest had been made over the weekend and that the Garda Commissioner had confirmed that a Garda would be present on Mount Street to provide protection.
Earlier this morning Mr O’Gorman said that offers of accommodation would be made to asylum seekers sleeping rough this week.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme, he also said that he and Justice Secretary Simon Harris will be meeting with the administration of the Garda Síochána following the events of the past few days.
He said the housing system was under “real pressure” and Ireland was hosting 84,000 people from Ukraine, as well as applicants for international protection.
Mr O’Gorman said: “Irrespective of how robust the system you have, when you have that kind of increase, you’re going to put a strain on it, and we see that same strain on systems across Europe. But we have to do better in terms of meeting our obligations to international protection applicants”, reports RTE.
Lucky Khambule, the coordinator of the movement of asylum seekers in Ireland, said that he met some of the men who were living in the tents outside the Office of International Protection over the weekend.
Mr Khambule said: “It’s just the unfortunate incident or issue that the international protection men are facing that when they go to the International Protection Office, they are told that, yes, we are accepting your application, but no, we don’t have accommodation for you so you can go out and find your way,” reports RTE.
He added: “They know they need to be able to find accommodation for the people as soon as possible to limit the risk of what could happen to the people in line with what we have seen happening now when tents are being burned,” reports RTE.
The International Defence Procurement Service also consults with domestic stakeholders, such as the Department of Transport’s Maritime Unit.
A statement from the Department of Integration said there was a “severe accommodation shortage” in Ireland.
“not possible to comment on specific proposals at this point,” the statement said, reports RTE.
The idea of using floatels to house asylum seekers was already being considered in 2000 by the coalition government of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats.
The cabinet at the time decided not to implement the plan, in part because of negative experiences in countries such as Denmark that ended the practice.
Jim O’Callaghan, TD for South Dublin Bay, Fianna Fáil, told RTÉ’s Drivetime that any kind of shelter is better than living in tents.
“Floatels in contrast to that, I would favour them… we have an obligation to provide sheltered accommodation, we cant provide state of the art accommodation for 84,000 people,” he said, reports RTE.
Gary Gannon, the Social Democrat TD for Dublin Central and the party’s spokesperson for Social Protection and External Affairs, said that Dublin Port may not be able to accommodate floats and that more details are needed.
People seeking accommodation had complex needs and were very isolated in boards, Mr Gannon said.
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