Tipperary councillor questions Department's use of town's hostel for protection applicants

Tipperary councillor Seamus Morris has questioned the use of a hostel in Cashel as accommodation for international protection applicants.

He has called on Tipperary County Council to make a statement on the fact that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth has signed a contract with immediate effect for the Cashel Holiday Hostel for the use of 74 single male international protection applicants, thereby losing much-needed emergency accommodation for all of Tipperary.

He said that he knew of several Nenagh people who had been offered and used the emergency accommodation in Cashel.

"It is hard to believe that at a time of unprecedented need for emergency accommodation in Tipperary with over 166 presentations in the last while, that the Department didn't know how important this hostel was for the housing department in Tipperary and taking it away would have a detrimental effect on our ability to operate in such an unprecedented housing crises," he said.

Cllr Morris, Independent, said that a number of weeks ago he had asked about the ability to deal with the increasing presentations for emergency accommodation.

"Of course, I was fobbed off despite Tipperary County Council not having two full-time HAP officers. This now is a fatal blow to our ability to provide emergency accommodation. I feel that we should have an emergency housing meeting to deal with it," he said.

The news that the hostel was to be used for the international protcetion applicants only became public on Friday.

The men are due to take up residence at Cashel Town Hostel on John Street from this Tuesday.