Housing refugees from Greece, Italy and Lebanon may take months

It could be several more months before the Government secures extra accommodation to locate refugees and asylum seekers scheduled to come here from Greece, Italy and Lebanon.

Despite criticisms about accommodation shortages, plans are only now being drawn up to seek proposals from providers.

The Department of Justice has asked the Office of Government Procurement to notify prospective tenderers of its intention to seek offers of accommodation and services for around 600 people. However, a notice issued this week only says that tenders are expected to be sought “within the coming months”.