No properties being considered for IPAS centres in Mayo town says Minister for Justice
There are currently no plans to establish International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres in Ballina, County Mayo, the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration has confirmed.
The confirmation came in response to a parliamentary question from Mayo TD Paul Lawless.
Deputy Lawless asked Minister Jim O’Callaghan to confirm if his department had carried out an assessment to evaluate the impact of opening an IPAS centre in the town. He asked for details of any such plans.
In his written reply, Minister O’Callaghan stated: “The Department’s International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS), is not currently examining any property for use as an international protection accommodation in Ballina.”
He continued, and outlined that providing accommodation, as well as other basic support to those seeking international protection, is a part of Irish and EU law. It is also a part of Ireland’s humanitarian duty to provide shelter to people fleeing war and persecution in their native country.
The Minister added that the Department regularly receives offers from external commercial providers for accommodation.
He said that the location of these proposed sites is not predetermined, but said that each offer of international protection accommodation is reviewed by the Department under a standard appraisal procedure.
Under this procedure, conditions that are considered for IPAS centres include: the potential of the site, the value for money, planning needs, and what work would need to be carried out for the site to meet the required standards for an accommodation centre.
Consideration is also given to access to services from the proposed site, the health, wellbeing and overall welfare of local residents, as well as the current level of need for accommodation.
He confirmed that the Department’s Community Engagement Team (CET), directly engages with elected representatives in the area, local authorities, community members and service providers before the opening of any new IPAS centre.
The Minister’s clarification comes in the wake of misinformation being spread online that multiple sites in Ballina were being considered for IPAS development.
In July, a site that had been earmarked for social housing was burnt down. In the days following the fire, rumours circulated online that the site was intended for international protection applicants.
Mayo County Council then released a statement that clarified the 31 units were designated for people on the social housing waiting list.
At the time, Senator Mark Duffy released a statement reminding people of the dangers of spreading misinformation online, warning that it can have fatal consequences.
“Seeing the misinformation and disinformation online is an insight into the anarchists who are purposely undermining public confidence in any project through disinformation like this. A lie was circulated around the country before the fire was extinguished,
“There is no discounting the challenges facing immigration in Ireland currently, but the amount of disinformation that is constantly spread can have fatal consequences and people must be more mindful of this,” he said.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.