Refugees to be housed at Gormanston camp for a week 'maximum'

Gormanston will host refugees in tents as a temporary measure. Picture: Government Information Services (GIS Office)

Refugees will begin to arrive at Gormanston on Tuesday with 150 people initially being accommodated at the army camp which has a capacity for 320.

Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman explained that the military tents will each sleep 16 with separate showers and toilets, recreation and canteen facilities.

This was a short-term measure, he added, for a week “maximum”.

It had always been anticipated that Gormanston could be used at some stage given the fluidity of a wartime situation.

Mr O'Gorman said that tented accommodation could be added to existing facilities around the country for asylum seekers to meet any possible surge.

He also said that a second welcome centre for refugees would open in “the next two to three weeks” and the first tranche of refurbished accommodation offering 500 spaces would be handed over this week.

Over the weekend, 780 refugees and asylum seekers were accommodated at Citywest, he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.

No one had to sleep at the old terminal building at Dublin Airport, thanks to the great work of officials at his department.

We have responded as quickly as possible to situations where people were sleeping on floors.

Of the 3,000 units identified for refurbishment, the first tranche of 500 places will be handed over this week, he said.

The most recent surge in arrivals was possibly due to the recent Russian attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine.

Environment Minister Eamon Ryan said yesterday that the Government is planning for some 200 people to arrive daily from Ukraine and elsewhere, adding: “You don’t turn people away.”