The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast: An arson attack on sleeping children in Drogheda

A review of security at all IPAS centres nationwide is underway after a Halloween night arson attack on a Drogheda centre housing 28 people.

At the time the fire was set, families including a 20-day-old baby were asleep in the building.

CCTV footage widely circulated of the incident shows a masked man pouring a substance onto the building’s only staircase and igniting it before fleeing.

The incident is part of a pattern of more than 30 arson attacks on buildings associated with asylum seekers since 2018, but according to Irish Refugee Council CEO Nick Henderson, an attack on a building that was inhabited at the time represents an escalation. It took place just days after an anti-migrant rally in the town.

One speaker at the protest on Saturday, October 25, previously made online comments about fires at Ipas centres, and reportedly wrote "burn baby burn" online about a hotel being used to house asylum seekers.

At the rally, he claimed that all migrants were provided "four-star accommodation" while some "16,000 Irish people don't know where they're going to sleep tonight".

Irish Examiner reporter Liz Dunphy has been covering this story – she's the guest on today’s episode of the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

Anti-migrant rally held in Drogheda days before near fatal attack on Ipas centre Fuel was poured on stairs at Ipas centre before it was set alight 'Terrifying ordeal': Children amongst those rescued as gardaí say Ipas centre fire was arson attack.