Emergency IPAS Accommodation

A Community Divided

“Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations”. – What can difficult conversations lead to?

The quote “Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations” speaks to the idea that challenges and struggles in life can lead to something positive and worthwhile. In this article, I explore the difficult conversations and challenges surrounding the issue of housing for refugees and asylum seekers in Santry, Dublin. The recent news of a factory unit being converted into accommodation for refugees has begun to cause concern and division within the local community. This situation highlights the neglect and bad planning that Turnapin, a part of Santry, has faced over the years. I also discuss the lack of resources and support for the local community, including the shortage of Garda and the under-staffed hospitals. Ultimately, the question is raised about whether or not the state has an obligation to do more to provide adequate accommodation and resources for those seeking refuge and those already living in the state.

In 2005, Lidl applied for planning permission to build a retail unit on the Furry Road/Turnapin Lane Junction, but the application was denied due to zoning regulations. The proposed retail unit would have been a valuable asset to the local community, especially for Turnapin residents and also those working in Airway’s. However, given the recent repurposing of Unit 29 for refugee accommodation without following standard planning procedures, it’s understandable that Turnapin residents are concerned. With only a small number of houses in the area, the impact on the community could be significant. Unfortunately, there seems to be a lack of meaningful dialogue on the issue at the moment.

Many feel like Santry has been neglected by local authorities over the years, and there are challenges arising from the difficulties in being divided into 2 separate local authorities, and 3 administrative areas, and 2 Dail Constituencies. Turnapin is one part of Santry that has suffered the greatest amount of neglect and bad planning. It’s not surprising that the recent news of a factory unit in the Airway’s Industrial estate has begun to cause a rift in the community, however, there is very little leadership on the issue from those elected to government.

The conditions in these converted factories are unfavourable and the number of sleeping pods is only an indication of the actual numbers of people who will be housed in the unit, as many International Protection Applicants have reported being forced to sleep on the floor and chairs for days and weeks in other IPAs units (McCurry, 2022). It seems like a quick fix solution to a very complex situation, that will lead to further problems in time.

People living in the area have safety concerns, and so do many refugees faced with living in a factory, whether it’s in Santry or elsewhere. People in the local community already had safety concerns with an under resourced Garda force. According to 2019 statistics, Ireland is among the smallest forces in Europe, and is 40 police / per 100k population below the European average, the force standing at 278 Garda per 100k population. More recent reporting on the figure states “Ireland has a ratio of 1 Garda for every 370 people, whereas the average in Europe is 1 Police Officer to 320 people” (O’Riordan, 2022).

Statistically, crime would have appeared to have dropped but the reality is that a huge percentage of crime is going unreported for many reasons. Many people are hesitant to report some crimes, and some crimes that are reported, do not get logged onto the pulse system because of the severe pressure that Gardai are already under.

Last July, Dublin Airport saw the army drafted in to provide backup in the midst of a queue crisis, which saw hundreds of passengers miss flights on a daily basis at the height of the summer due to staff shortages. Meanwhile, we are short in Garda numbers and people want to feel safe in their community and in Dublin City Centre, but where are the resources that are urgently needed, and why aren’t the army being used to bring the numbers up to the European average at the very least?

Under the Criminal Law Act, 1976, the Garda Superintendent has the power to place a serving member of the Defence Forces under his command – and utilise members of the Defence Force in policing roles! So when Gardai are being taken off policing duties to escort ministers, you have to ask yourself why is the Garda Superintendent not assigning Defence Force Personnel to drive the ministers or to provide policing support on the ground for the already under policed state.

Under Irish Constitution, the number of TDs cannot be more than one for every 20,000 of the population and cannot be less than one for every 30,000. The number of TD’s is set to increase again during the next General Election, but do we really need more TDs when our hospitals and Garda Stations are understaffed? Is it time to convene a Citizen’s Assembly to discuss constitutional reform on the issue of policing the state?

According to a 2018 survey by Irish Nurses and Midwife Organisation (INMO), more than two thirds of fourth year students were considering leaving Ireland upon qualification. These figures are quite alarming and due to increased demands and poor compensation, compounded by the difficulties in securing affordable housing, who could blame nurses for giving the notion of emigrating serious consideration? It is a valid argument that the state should under obligation to put a significant increase in resources available to provide nurses with accommodation on hospital campuses. With such a huge amount of nurse considering leaving, the situation in the hospitals is only going to get worse.

We have an obligation under EU law to provide accommodation for those seeking refuge in our state. There is a moral obligation too. There is also the argument that we are not doing enough for those already here, regardless of their race. Is it feasible to take uncapped numbers of asylum seekers into the state for the foreseeable future, at the cost of diminished services to others? People have every right to seek asylum here but what sort of expectations do they have? Some of those seeking refuge in the state, have ended up going straight into homelessness on arrival due to the lack of accommodation. Now there are fears that there could be a significant cost to the taxpayer due to pay-outs for asylum seekers who were not provided with accommodation on arrival (Phelan, 2023) according to the Irish Examiner. This also raises the question of whether or not the state should be obliged to compensate those living in the state who have been faced with homelessness as a result of the failure of the state to provide accommodations.

There is a lot of work yet to be done on integration policy and getting a good framework in place in order to provide the best opportunities for those that we have the capacity to support. Increasing the capacity to provide support and services relative to the number of those seeking accommodation is tantamount. Avoiding the conversation will not solve the problem, it will only prolong the situation. We have many challenges ahead, and the only way to work through these challenges is to have the difficult conversations. These difficult conversations will lead to a deeper understanding of the complexities of the situation.

In conclusion, difficult conversations can lead to positive change, as highlighted by the issue of housing for refugees and asylum seekers in Santry, Dublin. The neglect and bad planning that Turnapin has faced over the years, along with the lack of resources and support for the local community, have created challenges that need to be addressed. The news of Unit 29 being converted into accommodation for refugees is causing concern and division within the local community, and highlights the need for meaningful dialogue on the issue. The state has an obligation to provide adequate accommodation and resources for those seeking refuge and those already living in the state. There is also a need for constitutional reform on the issue of policing the state, and a significant increase in resources available to provide nurses with accommodation on hospital campuses. Ultimately, difficult conversations can lead to positive change if approached with openness and a willingness to find solutions.

Ian Croft,

Independent Local Representative,

Dublin Northwest