KILDARE: Asylum seekers accommodation centre will open in Sallins in new year
The number of asylum seekers to be accommodated in Sallins has been capped at a maximum of 112 people.
An agreement is now in place between Tetrarch Capital, the owners of the premises at The Waterways and the International Protection Accommodation Service, which is part of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth (DCEDIY).
The agreement will come into force next year - in January or early February - and in the meantime refurbishment work is being carried out on the premises in compliance with national and local regulations.
The people moving in there will be couples and single adult females and according to DCEDIY “there will be no single adult males placed in this property.”
There will be a maximum of two people per room which equates to an overall maximum of 112 for the property.
The terms of the agreement mean that it will not be possible to exceed this number.
A breakdown of the number of couples and single adult females will not be known “until closer to the opening date.”
The property will be managed and operated by Tetrarch “who have good experience of such work already around the country.”
Tetrarch was involved with both the Killashee Hotel and Millennium Park in Naas.
Representatives of Tetrarch have already met with community representatives in Sallins and outlined how the premises will be managed on a day to day basis.
Other agencies will be involved such as the HSE, Kildare County Council, County Kildare Leader Partnership Company and the gardaí.
The department also thanked the local community in Sallins for its willingness to engage “with us on this sensitive issue and we are prepared to continue our engagement over the coming months.”
According to the department, the agreement will be for a two year period with the potential for one year extensions - if approved by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth. The maximum period of use will be four years.
It was also pointed out that the government is dealing with “an unprecedented level of migration into the country obviously compounded by the awful war in Ukraine” and “this situation is likely to remain for some time,hence the overwhelming need for accommodation centres like this one in Sallins.”
A peaceful protest took place in Sallins on September 21 over the possible arrival of asylum seekers to the town.
About 80 people of all ages - and a handful of household pets - participated in the demonstration which started at the traffic lights near the Railway Inn pub and t later removed to The Waterways.
The protest was organised after news emerged that a hotel planned for The Waterways site, but which never opened, could become a venue for people who've left various countries claiming persecution.
The offer of the hotel was made through a request for tender for "Bespoke Panel Agreement for the Provision of Accommodation Services and Related Services for Persons Seeking International Protection" which was published by the government late last year.
Some of the participants carried placards reading “Sallins Says No” and "Sallins Says No To Unvetted Men.”
Another bore the message “Stop. We do not consent. This is a planned invasion on the community of Sallins. On the land of Éire. This is not acceptable."
Local TD James Lawless previously expressed deep frustration at the lack of coherent communication on the proposal.
He said these centres are arranged directly between the owners and the government - and TD and councillors are not involved.
He said similar centres have opened or will open in at least six other Kildare towns.