DUBLIN: As thousands of economic migrants in Ireland struggle with homelessness and exorbitant rents, the Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil-Green Party government is urgently working to provide free accommodation and security for the influx of refugees who have entered the country illegally this year.
The government plans to establish a refugee tent city on a 160-acre site at Thornton Hall near Ashbourne. The Department of Integration has confirmed that construction will commence soon, with the Irish Prison Service and the Department of Justice collaborating on the arrangements.
Discussions about these plans are ongoing, aiming to repurpose the site, previously described as underutilised. Prime Minister Simon Harris and Deputy Prime Minister Micheál Martin have expressed their support for this initiative.
Part of the 160-acre government-owned land will be designated for emergency accommodation. As an interim solution, tents equipped with toilets, sanitation facilities, kitchens, and canteens will be set up on the site.
Prime Minister Harris described the north Dublin site as a logical location to house those seeking international protection. He mentioned that the Department of Integration would provide specific guidelines on this matter within four weeks. Deputy Prime Minister Martin reiterated his support for the tented accommodation at Thornton Hall, a site purchased by the government in 2004 for 30 million euros as part of a prison project.
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