Grand Canal tents cleared again as 89 asylum seekers offered accommodation

Tents which have been pitched by asylum seekers along a stretch of the Grand Canal, by Wilton Place in Dublin on Tuesday. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

A multi-agency operation to remove tents of homeless asylum seekers on Dublin's Grand Canal is currently underway.

Tents have been pitched along the canal in recent weeks due to the ongoing shortage of accommodation for asylum seekers arriving into the State.

This is the third multi-agency operation to clear tents from Dublin city centre. The first took place on Mount Street earlier this month and the second also occurred on the Grand Canal. 

In a statement on Tuesday, a Government spokesperson confirmed that a number of beds became available at accommodation centres in recent days. A total of 89 international protection applicants have been offered accommodation this morning.

“A number of beds became available in [International Protection Accommodation Services]-designated accommodation in recent days which resulted in offers of accommodation being issued by email this morning to 89 International Protection applicants awaiting accommodation,” the spokesperson said.

“The offers of accommodation are being made across a number of IPAS-designated accommodation locations.” 

However, some asylum seekers are yet to be offered accommodation on the canal, with a number of tents remaining in the area.

One asylum seeker who was not offered accommodation said that there is currently no information on whether they will be moved.

The man, originally from Afghanistan, arrived in Ireland four days ago and has been living on the canal since.

"We just don't know," he said.

While a large number of tents were removed from the site earlier this morning, workers on the canal are awaiting further instructions from IPAS on whether to remove the remaining tents.

More barriers have also been erected from Baggot Street Bridge towards Wilton Terrace.

'Tents are not a good idea anyway'

Taoiseach Simon Harris has repeatedly said the erecting of long-term encampments cannot be allowed. In recent days, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said it is not a good idea for charities to provide tents to homeless asylum seekers.

“In my own view, tents are not a good idea anyway,” Mr Martin said.

“I witnessed that during different phases of homelessness, where many established homeless organisations were not in favour of the giving out of tents to homeless because it led to other challenges, and was actually unsafe.

“And there’s a fundamental issue of lack of sanitation and safety around the pitching of tents in any kind of location within a city or a town.”