Concerns over lack of consultation ahead of arrival of 70 International Protection applicants to Navan

Up to 70 people seeking international protection are to be accommodated in the centre of Navan in the coming weeks, it has been revealed.

Flaxmill House on Mill Lane will initially house 40 people - asylum seeking families - in 15 rooms. There is also an additional section of the property that “is due to be complete in September” which will increase the overall capacity to 70.

Residents living in the immediate area have expressed concerned about possible protests in what is a very narrow residential area and fear they could be caught up in the middle of it.

Concern have also been expressed about the lack of consultation with public representatives and local residents about the proposal.

In a briefing document sent to Meath's Oireachtas members and Navan MD councillors and seen by the Meath Chronicle, the International Protection Accommodation Service has said it intends to use Flaxmill House, Mill Lane, Flower Hill, a former self-storage facility and offices to provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.

According to the briefing document the accommodation is for "families of international protection applicants." A one-year contract has been signed with IPAS unable to say how long each applicant will remain in the accommodation.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín has appealed to people to keep the area calm. "Most people I spoke with pleaded that there would be no gatherings or protests on the lane and I agree with them. The residents I spoke to were more concerned with possible protests than anything else. This is not a big wide open space. This is a very narrow residential area. I would ask people to keep the area calm".

According to IPAS, the property has a sufficient number of bathrooms and showers for the number of residents at the required ratios. A self-catering service will be provided on site while residents will also get a weekly Lidl gift card. Essentials such as toiletries will be replenished each week. The site will also have hi-speed WiFi.

Deputy Tóibín has arranged to meet with local residents tonight (Tuesday) in an effort to create a residents association. "I believe that the first and most important step of that residents association will be to a meet with the Minister Roderic O'Gorman.

"The Flax Mill House location is supposed to be for families but there is nowhere for children to play except on the road. This is a lane that has a high density of apartments and is already choc-a-bloc with parking every evening. It’s the only IPAS centre that I know of that is in the middle of a densely populated residential area."

The Flax Mill House, Mill Lane property is owned by Nigel McDermott, and Purple Horse Ltd have a three-year lease. The company managing the site is called Earlsline Ltd.

According to the IPAS document there will be 24-hour security on site seven days a week and a manager and any other personnel required with staff on-site 24 hours a day and there will be a manager and/or security staff on site at all times. It's understood the owner/facilities management company have previous experience in the provision of accommodation centres for IPAS. There will be at least two staff members on site each day to include cleaners and a manager attending to any needs ‘24/7’. There will be security staff present ‘24/7’. There is also CCTV in place. Each resident will have their own lockable bedroom and 24-hour access.

Each shower and toilet is appropriately partitioned for privacy. On arrival IPAS applicants will be eligible to receive PPS Numbers but cannot access the labour market for the first six months that they are in Ireland. An adult resident receives an allowance of €38.80 per week.

There have been over 230 accommodation locations utilised for IPAS appliants since January 2022 across 26 counties. IPAS, under the the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is currently providing 31,913 people seeking International Protection with statesourced accommodation and support services.

In addition to that, since February 2022, it is also providing accommodation to 38,426 people who have fled the war in Ukraine, resulting in over 70,300 people in state-supported or pledged accommodation in Ireland, and that number continues to increase.

In the last six months there has been an average of 560 people seeking accommodation every week.

According to IPAS, the provision of accommodation, health, education, income and other supports as appropriate, to both international protection applicants and those fleeing the war in Ukraine, is "a whole-of-government emergency response."

Navan's public representatives have been told queries relating to the accommodation proposal at Flaxmill can be directed to the Community Engagement Team which it says "is working across Government to ensure a co-ordinated approach." Queries can be sent to ommunity@equality.gov.ie