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BreakingNews.ie
26 minutes ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Over half of those left at controversial Athlone asylum facility could begin to leave next week
Over half of the people seeking asylum occupying a controversial emergency accommodation centre in Athlone will tell the government by next week whether they have accepted alternative accommodation offered to them. At the High Court on Monday, senior counsel Aoife Carroll, for the government, told Ms Justice Emily Farrell that of the remaining 125 people at the accommodation centre, 70 people had received offers of alternative accommodation and that the court should know their answers next week. Advertisement Last month, Ms Carroll told the court that 137 people were in emergency accommodation at the facility, but that figures were dropping as alternative accommodation was being sought. The High Court action was taken by Independent Ireland councillor for Athlone-Moate District Paul Hogan, who successfully applied to the court in December for a judicial review, arguing that the expedited development was unlawful. The State has conceded to the court that the statutory instrument used to expedite the construction of the facility was "invalid" and is working on repairing legislation. A Statutory Instrument is a secondary legislation made by a Minister, modifying or supplementing existing laws. Cllr Hogan is taking the case against the office of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Advertisement Cllr Hogan claimed the Minister failed to adequately "screen" the project for potential environmental impacts and that the Minister lacked the expertise to carry out such assessments in such an expedited manner. Protests have been held in Athlone over the plan to further develop army-tent accommodation for a possible 1,000 asylum seekers. Last month, Ms Justice Farrell said she would defer judgment, quashing the use of the Statutory Instrument used to develop the emergency accommodation at Lissywollen in Athlone, Co Westmeath. Ms Justice Farrell had said she wanted to wait for updates and to see draft legislation from the Oireachtas. The government submitted it intended to remedy the legal issue over the bypassing of environmental assessments for the accommodation. Advertisement Today, Ms Carroll said the department was continuing to work to reduce the number of people at the facility, but that there was "significant pressure" on the system. Regarding the repairing legislation, Ms Carroll said "we have not made the progress hoped". Ms Carroll said that "significant work" had been done on a general scheme and that it was hoped this would go for drafting in preparation for legislation. Ms Carroll again asked for the court not to make final orders in the matter and to maintain the status quo pending the legislation, which is hoped to be put to the Dáil in November. Advertisement Ms Justice Farrell adjourned the matter to next week but warned she could not keep deferring final orders when the government had "ample opportunity" to put legislation before the Dáil. David O'Brien BL, for Cllr Hogan, said the government indicating "loose dates" had been "a regrettable motif" in the case. Any November date for the legislation to come before the Dáil, which was indicated to the court in May, had been initially "unrealistic... now, it is at the point of untenable" and his client was left "without a modicum of explanation", he said. Cllr Hogan claims the ministerial process employed was "unlawful, irrational and a breach of fair procedures".
BreakingNews.ie
06-07-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Oberstown Children's Detention facility staff did not suffer 'life-changing injuries', Foley says
The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley TD, has rejected claims that any staff at Oberstown Children's Detention facility suffered 'life-changing injuries' in recent incidents there. In wide-ranging written Dáil replies on the operation of Oberstown at Lusk in Co Dublin, Minister Foley has also rejected claims that the centre is experiencing 'dangerously low staffing levels'. Advertisement The facility currently has capacity 46 - 40 boys and six girls - and Minister Foley revealed that her officials have already asked the Oberstown Director to make preparations to provide for 'a small increase in the near future in the maximum number of boys that may be detained at Oberstown'. This follows Oberstown frequently having no space to cater for remand orders from the courts including one incident last month where a lack of space at Oberstown resulted in two Dublin teenagers, who are accused of being armed with a machine gun during a burglary, being released from custody despite a judge seeking to remand them on detention to Oberstown. The 2024 annual report for Oberstown shows that of the 120 teenagers subject to remand or detention orders last year, only two were female. In his written Dáil question, Deputy Gary Gannon asked Minister Foley the actions being taken in response to the serious incident at Oberstown in which nine staff were injured–four requiring hospital treatment, including one with life-changing injuries and how she justifies operating the facility with dangerously low staffing levels. Advertisement In her response, Minister Foley stated: 'I am concerned that the question asked repeats assertions made about recent incidents at Oberstown which were put into the public domain without consultation or verification and which contain significant factual inaccuracies. 'I would like to correct these inaccuracies and provide important context while being mindful of the sensitivities of the individuals involved. 'All individuals involved in the incidents referred to continue to be fully supported by Oberstown. Where injuries were sustained, following triage by the campus onsite medical team, four individuals were referred to hospital for further checks, none of which resulted in hospitalisation (stays in hospital). 'While it would not be appropriate for Oberstown to discuss details of any personal injuries outside the internal review process, I have been assured by the Director that to date the campus has not received any medical information to support the assertion that any staff member involved in the incidents received 'life-changing injuries'. Advertisement 'It is unhelpful to make unsupported assertions on the nature or potential repercussions of any injury sustained in an incident which is under review." Minister Foley added that 'Oberstown is not experiencing 'dangerously low staffing levels''. She stated that in 2025 Oberstown has recruited 18 staff, 16 of these in the roles of Residential Social Care Worker and Night Supervising Officer. Minister Foley stated that 'of this intake, 17 remain (94.4 per cent) – only one staff member left within six months of joining'. The 2024 annual report for Oberstown shows that its allocation for pay last year totalled €17.18 million. The centre employed 250 including 165 directly involved in the direct front line care of young people. In her foreword to the 2024 report, chair, Koulla Yiasouma stated that 'the year has been particularly challenging as our occupancy levels have remained high and staffing levels are still a challenge". She stated: 'The needs of some of the young people are increasingly complex and the willingness of the whole staff team to adapt to those needs is remarkable.'
BreakingNews.ie
23-06-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
High Court judge to rule on Athlone asylum centre on Wednesday
Lawyers for the State have told the High Court that there is a "serious risk to the dignity and safety" of asylum seekers if the government is not allowed to use special powers to fast-track refugee accommodation. Aoife Carroll SC, for the State, on Monday asked the court to put a stay on the quashing of the use of a statutory instrument that had been used to speed up the establishment of a controversial refugee facility at Lissywollen, Athlone, Co Westmeath, which is designed to house up to 1,000 asylum seekers. Advertisement The original action was taken by Independent Ireland Westmeath Councillor Paul Hogan, among others, who successfully applied to the court in December for a finding that the expedited development was unlawful. Cllr Hogan is taking the case against the office of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. A Statutory Instrument is a secondary legislation, made by a Minister, modifying existing laws. Cllr Hogan successfully claimed the Minister failed to adequately "screen" the project for potential environmental impacts and that the Minister lacked the expertise to carry out such assessments in an expedited manner. Advertisement Protests have been held in Athlone over the plan to further develop army-tent accommodation for the possible 1,000 asylum seekers, in up to 150 tents, on a site to the rear of an existing direct provision centre. Ms Carroll on Monday said that while there had been 180 people in residence in December at the facility, only 137 remained and that amending legislation was presently to come before the Government. Ms Carroll is applying to put a stay on the December order striking down the use of the statutory instrument used by the office of the Minister in expediting the development of the asylum centre. Cllr Hogan, who secured 4.8 per cent of first preference votes running for Independent Ireland in Longford-Westmeath, claimed the ministerial process providing for the plan was "unlawful, irrational and a breach of fair procedures". Advertisement Oisín Collins SC with David O'Brien BL, instructed by solicitor Patrick Cunningham of PB Cunningham & Co, for Cllr Hogan, said the State should use existing planning laws to seek permission for the development rather than going to the High Court for a stay on the order quashing the statutory instrument. Mr Collins said that if the court was to wait for corrective legislation it would be more productive to use planning laws, as the "appropriate mechanism". Counsel said this did not mean the "shutting down" of the facility but rather the use of "appropriate enforcement notices". Ms Carroll said that EU law requirements and legislative procedures were complied with but not entered into record, amounting to an "error" but that the situation was considered to be one of "emergency". Advertisement Ms Carroll said that the Minister was seeking a stay in circumstances where there are "significant risks that alternative accommodation could not be offered if the site was closed down". Counsel said that the nature of the conceded breach in the use of the Statutory Instrument was "procedural, or technical, rather than substantial" and that legislation to correct the error was being put towards Cabinet "imminently". Ms Carroll said that while the lack of a written environmental impact was an error, all other procedures had been adhered to. Ms Carroll said that there were "serious consequences for those involved and a serious risk to the dignity and safety" of the people residing at the Athlone facility. Ms Justice Emily Farrell said she would deliver her judgment on the stay application on Wednesday.
