Inspections of International Protection Accommodation services found asylum seekers living in "cramped, overcrowded, undignified and unsafe" accommodation.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) inspected eight International Protection centres recently and found "varying levels of compliance".
Knockalisheen accommodation centre is located in a rural area of Co Clare, and houses 289 asylum seekers.
Hiqa inspectors found the residents' experience had "begun to improve", following a previous inspection.
The third inspection of the centre found "sufficient action had not been taken by the service provider to create a consistently safe environment for residents or to ensure a zero tolerance approach to violence was fostered".
'Cramped, undignified and unsafe'
Residents lived in "cramped, undignified and unsafe" spaces.
Ninety of the 289 refugees are living in "military style tents on site".
Inspectors found risks relating to damp and mould in some of the bedrooms in the centre, while there was mould and algae present in the showering areas of a communal bathroom.
Children and their families were provided with their own sleeping quarters, but did not have access to a private living space, and some lived in cramped living environments.
The inspectors observed the accommodation provided to a family where parents and their two children chose to share one bedroom, to free up the second bedroom for living space.
In another case, a family where siblings, aged over 10 years, and who were of different genders, were required to share a bedroom as there was no alternative sleeping arrangement available to them.
The impact of living in cramped conditions meant that families had limited space to engage in normal activities and children did not
have enough space to play and develop in line with normal childhood experiences.
Mixed feedback
Residents who spoke with the inspectors had mixed feedback on their experience of living in the centre. While many residents expressed concerns for their safety living in the centre, there was a positive change in what residents said about their interactions with staff.
In Athlone Accommodation, where 191 asylum seekers are living, inspectors found "cramped and often overcrowded accommodation".
There were also "risks to the health, safety and welfare of some residents which had not been assessed or acted upon".
Ninety-two of the people in the Athlone centre are children.
There was evidence of overcrowding which impacted negatively on some residents by "compromising their dignity and wellbeing". The inspectors found some cases where children, including teenagers, were sharing a bedroom with a parent and in some of these cases, children and teenagers were sharing a bed with a sibling or a parent.
Some of these residents told the inspectors that they would like additional sleeping space. The inspectors spoke with a family who were distressed due to their very restrictive living environment as they did not have enough beds to accommodate the number of individuals living in the mobile home.
Residents’ bedrooms did not meet the minimum space requirements of the national standards which meant that they had minimal floor space for example, to allow them to stand or dress comfortably.
Improved standards
The situation was better in some of the other centres inspected, including Dídean Portlaoise, which was found to have no non-compliances against the standards.
Atlantic House in Co Waterford, which houses 74 asylum seekers, was found to have improved in a number of areas.
Inspectors found that residents were "generally well supported to live independent lives while living in comfortable accommodation".
The inspectors found that residents were consulted with and their feedback was taken on board by centre management. The provider had implemented a number of changes to the operation of the centre since the previous inspection, which was carried out in February 2024.
It was found that "while some further improvement was required in relation to governance and oversight, the provider was actively implementing a service improvement plan and it was evident that the centre managers and staff team were motivated to provide a good quality service to residents".
Improvements were also identified at Kinsale Road Accommodation Centre in Co Cork.
The provider had carried out a number of renovations and "upgrades to the physical environment of the centre in the last year".
These included "improved outdoor storage facilities for residents’ personal items, which meant larger or infrequently used goods such as suitcases or children’s car seats could be safely stored"
"The provider had also upgraded the playground facilities and improved outdoor seating arrangements. There were additional facilities for storage of outdoor toys and buggies. Additionally, the centre manager had overseen a programme of renovations to improve the physical environment and living conditions for residents.
"They arranged for the six accommodation blocks to be painted, new skirting had been fitted in accommodation buildings, and the kitchens and tearooms had been updated. Additional storage was added to the communal rooms and new fridges, microwaves and cookers had been installed in the communal kitchens."
