A Tipperary councillor says that residents at a local direct provision centre are dismissing social media claims about their mistreatment.
Roscrea-based independent, Shane Lee, visited the Dunkerrin Arms yesterday to speak to a group of asylum seekers about their experience.
He says the residents were unhappy with the reports being circulated, and said they were being well looked after at the facility.
Councillor Lee insists that the residents have avenues available to them to raise any concerns they may have:
“I contacted the Department of Justice and I contacted the provider also and I’m asking the question of the department, are they satisfied? Are there inspections taking place? And to be honest, this group were saying to me last night that if they thought for one minute that they weren’t being looked after well, they have the channels.
“And that was exactly what was said. They know the channels for where to go. They said, ‘we know where to go, Mr Lee, if we’re not satisfied.’
“So I was satisfied to hear that from them.”
Speaking to Fran Curry on Tipp Today, he also explained the living conditions that they were experiencing during the Covid-19 crisis:
“It’s classed as independent living. They have their own en-suites, they have wifi out there, they’ve a chef on site.”
When asked by Fran if there were more than two people sharing a room, Councillor Lee replied that there isn’t.
He continued to say that the term ‘starvation’ was used at one point but that the reality is that the kitchen is open 24/7 for people to go in and out and use the facilities themselves.”
