Asylum centre food firm rejects criticism

A LEADING catering company last night denied claims it was providing poor quality and monotonous food to asylum seekers.

Some asylum seekers at a centre in Tralee, Co Kerry, have refused meals since last Saturday because they are not happy with the food being served.

Up to 24 adults and 40 children are staying in the Johnston Marina Hotel, Tralee, and one family of four said they were returning to Czechoslovakia because of the food.

There was also a complaint about allegedly disrespectful remarks by a security guard, who has since been redeployed.

Laura Curtin, marketing manager at Campbell Services, the company responsible for the Tralee centre and a number of others around the country, said she was surprised by the claims.

“We’ve put a lot of investment and time into developing an eight-week ethnic menu cycle which tries to take into account the different types of food eaten by different nationalities,” she said.

“An executive chef has been involved in drawing up this menu. Suggestions have been invited from people in the centres and they have a definite input into the menu.”

Czech Stepan Weimar, 48, his wife Renata and daughter Sarah, 12, also complained about not being permitted to take food upstairs.

“We’re getting mash, rice, gravy, chicken and fish all the time. The chicken is green sometimes and the menu lacks variety,” said Mr Weimar, who spent five years in England before arriving in Tralee five months ago.

He said he and his family were bringing their own food into the centre even though they could not afford to buy very much as the weekly allowance for an adult asylum seeker was only 19 and 9 for a child.

Mr Weimar said they had asked for a toaster and microwave for their room.

Another Czech family of four claimed they were returning home because of the food. Nigerians, Russians and Lithuanians are also in the centre.

However, Ms Curtin said Campbell Services operates to very high standards, which are audited regularly by the Reception and Integration Agency for Asylum Seekers and other bodies.

“We have three other centres in Kerry and have no complaints from any of them about the food. In fact, we have received many compliments. We go out of our way to ensure high standards apply and that a family atmosphere is created,” she said.

Ms Curtin said the complaints at the Johnston Marina Centre arose from an incident last Saturday, when a woman was refused permission to bring hot food to her room. This was a regulation under health and safety procedures.

A security guard involved had since been removed from the premises.