Latest news with #EUPactonMigrationandAsylum
Irish Independent
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Government to review how IPAS applicants are managed in Wicklow
The move comes after concerns were raised about the high concentration of IPAS accommodation centres in west Wicklow in comparison to other areas of the county. Recent figures provided to a meeting of Wicklow County Council's Strategic Housing Policy Committee highlighted the geographical spread across the county, with 673 based solely within the Baltinglass Municipal District. Following a parliamentary question from Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady, Migration Minister Jim O'Callaghan said it has not been possible for the State to apply specific policies in relation to the distribution of accommodation centres. 'IPAS was accommodating approximately 7,000 people at the end of 2021, and at the end of 2024, the total had grown to over 32,000 residents. 'As we respond to changing trends, and work toward a more stable and sustainable accommodation system in this sector, accommodation is being developed and delivered through a range of channels, with a focus on developing more State-owned accommodation.' Minister O'Callaghan said Ireland is now working to implement the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum in mid-2026. 'Reforming and speeding up processing of applications should also serve over time to reduce the scale of the demand for international protection accommodation.' 'The Department is also working to increase the amount of State-owned international protection accommodation and creating a more stable and sustainable accommodation system.' It is hoped a core supply of State-owned accommodation, of both emergency and permanent options will help to manage different accommodation types, locations and dispersal patterns nationwide. Separately no decision has been made in relation to the future of a proposed IPAS centre at The Avon Hotel in Blessington. 95 Ukrainians are being moved out the facility this week as the need for this type of accommodation has reduced over the last year. ADVERTISEMENT All offers of accommodation are reviewed by the Department under a standardised appraisal procedure which reviews the site suitability, the value for money it offers, planning matters and any works required to meet the required standards. Consideration is also given to the location in relation to access to services, resident welfare, health and wellbeing, and the current level of need in the sector. Local elected representatives and communities will be contacted by the Community Engagement Team about this property with any update. Meanwhile Kippure Holiday Village is currently contracted by the Department to provide accommodation service for people seeking international protection. The Department has acknowledged there is ongoing engagement between the provider and Wicklow County Council in relation to planning matters at the property. Kippure Holiday Village will continue to accommodate people seeking international protection until this engagement is concluded. The Department will then consider any potential impact on the contract that is in place between the service provider and the Department. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
RTÉ News
18-06-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Govt agrees €148m purchase of Citywest Hotel and campus
Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan has said Cabinet has approved plans to proceed with the purchase of the Citywest Hotel and campus in Dublin for €148.2m. The State has been leasing the property since 2020 when it was used as a Covid vaccination site. Since 2022, it was used to house those in need of temporary protection and more recently for international protection applicants. Speaking at Government Buildings, Minister O'Callaghan said: "It really does represent value for money in terms of the amount of money we're spending on the private commercial sector as opposed to the savings that can be achieved if we own our own accommodation." Minister O'Callaghan said €148.2 million purchase price would result in significant savings over time. "It's going to be far cheaper in the long-term in terms of owning it as opposed to the cost we're paying at present per person in the accommodation." In a statement, the Department of Justice said the purchase of the facility was part of a "long-term strategy to developing a sustainable accommodation system", and that the "site will deliver significant long-term savings to the State as its moves from licencing to ownership". The Department also said securing the site in State ownership would "enable Ireland to meet requirements under the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum". Protest by residents Asked about protests outside Leinister House last week by residents opposing the purchase, Minister of State Colm Brophy said "we are not changing over all what is happening in Citywest at the moment in terms of numbers and Citywest has actually been working very effectively in terms of having an IPAS centre there and Ukrainians also". He said the campus has offered a range of services effectively for several years. Minister Brophy said that by owning Citywest "we can save effectively 50% of the operating costs". Minister O'Callaghan said, in terms of the programme for Government, the plan is to own 14,000 accommodation units for those seeking international protection.
Extra.ie
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Extra.ie
Immigration screening at risk as EU data unavailable to Ireland
There are fears immigration officials won't be able to perform robust identity checks and security screening on asylum seekers due to the country's lack of access to key EU security databases, a Government report has warned. The report on the introduction of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum is expected to come into force in June of next year. It says Ireland 'may not be able to carry out the most robust identity validation' due to the country's exclusion from the Schengen Area and the related IT border security systems. The report on the introduction of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum is expected to come into force in June of next year. Pic: Getty Images Under the 1985 Schengen Agreement, border controls between EU Member States on the European mainland were abolished. The Agreement allows people to travel from the likes of Sweden to Portugal without having to present their passports at national borders. However, the UK and Ireland opted out of the Schengen Agreement as a common travel area has existed between the two States since partition in 1923, with amendments on air travel in place since 1997. Under proposals in the EU Migration Pact, asylum seekers would be subjected to strict biometric security checks, such as providing fingerprints and facial screening. It is understood that the Government will have to recruit in the region of 400 staff to manage the new regime on asylum applications at a cost of € 32 million. Recently, it was revealed that 80% of migrants entering the Republic are doing so over the border. Pic: Getty Images Michael Murphy, a former director of military intelligence official with the Defence Forces, told RTÉ: 'One thing the plan does not address is our agreements with the United Kingdom on the movement of people across the border with Northern Ireland, and so that's a great weakness that is not addressed.' Recently, it was revealed that 80% of migrants entering the Republic are doing so over the border. The plan, which has been prepared for the Government in advance of the EU Migration Pact coming into effect, warns of a 'concern' that Ireland 'may not be able to adequately conduct screening' because it will not have access to the EU's Entry/ Exit system, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, and the EU Visa Information System. The EU's Entry/Exit system is a new IT system to help Member States to manage the EU's external borders. It is due to be operational in October and will record the date and place of each entry and exit, facial images and fingerprints of travellers to the EU, and whether an individual has been refused entry to a country. According to the European Commission, the database is designed to prevent irregular immigration and identify travellers who have no right to enter, or have exceeded their permitted stay. Pic: Shutterstock According to the European Commission, the database is designed to prevent irregular immigration and identify travellers who have no right to enter, or have exceeded their permitted stay. The system can also identify travellers who are using fake identities or passports, and the information will be used to detect and investigate terrorist offences and other serious crimes. Minister for European Affairs Thomas Byrne also told RTÉ: 'We are part of the EU Migration Pact because Minister O'Callaghan wants a firm but fair asylum policy. 'We want to make sure that people coming to this country have a right to come to this country or are genuinely fleeing war or disaster, and that the system is not abused. 'We've been roundly criticised by the Opposition parties for joining the EU Migration Pact, and now they're criticising us because there are issues with it. 'We are looking at measures to ensure that every person coming into this country is screened, and we are looking at what is the best way to access information so that we can have our own screening system'
Irish Independent
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Limited access to EU security database may hamper ‘robust' screening of asylum-seekers, government report says
A government report on the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum has also warned of undue stressors on the asylum system, inadequate staff training, and the risk of backlogs and absconding leading to reputational damage. The new immigration control system across the 27 EU member states has been adopted by Ireland and is set to come into effect in June 2026. It will aim to tackle key inefficiencies within the current system, while also protecting external borders and supporting member states 'under migratory pressure through greater burden-sharing'. A report prepared for the Government has highlighted how Ireland does not have access to certain EU security databases available to Schengen member states, and is limited in its access to the full European search portal. There is concern, the report states, that, as a result, Ireland may not be able to adequately conduct screening or carry out 'robust identity validation' in line with the requirements of the EU Pact. The Department of Justice told the Irish Independent that it was a central priority for Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan that Ireland's immigration system be robust and effective. While Ireland would not have access to the entry/exit system, ETIAS and the Visa Information System, the Government had opted into the EuroDac system, which is a fingerprint database for asylum-seekers that will be upgraded by June of next year. It will store official documents and photographs of asylum- seekers as well as their first place of application to help decrease secondary movement. The department said that while Ireland could not opt in to the Schengen IT systems, the State intended to legislate nationally to align with its provisions. It said the State would carry out screening on anybody who entered Ireland irregularly – this will consist of identity checks, health checks, security and criminal screening and gathering fingerprint data for the EuroDac database. Last year, there were 18,560 applications for international protection, a 40pc increase on 2023, with more than 50pc of applicants coming from Jordan, Nigeria, Somalia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The report also says that Ireland has 'responded generously to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine' and granted more than 113,332 applications for temporary protection between 2022 and January of this year. Figures show that the Department of Justice and state-funded migration operations delivered 934 voluntary returns last year. The Government has also committed to providing 14,000 state-owned beds which it says will help support the delivery of the pact requirements. The acquisition of facilities for state-owned properties 'will deliver significant savings to the Exchequer' in the long run, according to the report.
RTÉ News
25-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Ireland's asylum system 'wide open for abuse', says former military chief
Former deputy director of military intelligence of the Irish Defence Forces Michael Murphy has said that Ireland's asylum system is "open" for exploitation. It comes after a Government report warned immigration officials in Ireland may not be able to perform robust identity checks and security screening on asylum seekers due to the country's lack of access to key EU security databases. A new implementation plan for the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum - which is due to come into force next year - states that Ireland "may not be able to carry out the most robust identity validation" due to the country's exclusion from the Schengen Area and the related IT border security systems. Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, Mr Murphy said: "The system is wide open for abuse. "You have people coming in, travelling in without passports. "We don't know who they are. If you're coming from a third country, say far away, how do you do the security check on who they are?" "They can come in on a false passport. They can come in and stay in the country, not ever be discovered. "So therefore yes, our system or lack of border control is a security threat to the State." Mr Murphy said that abuse of the system was harming the cases of those who are actually seeking asylum in Ireland, and that the security checks should be more balanced. "I think the first thing is actually balancing a little bit more to the security side and of course, look after the genuine people who are fleeing war. "There's a lot of people who are not fleeing war and using the system to get into the country," he said. "That abuse is actually hurting those who are genuinely looking for asylum," he added. Mr Murphy said that Ireland was vulnerable by not having control over the Common Travel Area with the UK. "The fact that we don't have control of between what's happening between ourselves in the United Kingdom, it's a weakness. "But I think it can be covered by other systems," he said. "We actually signed into the advanced personal information and we also have signed into the personal name record for travelling into this country to prevent terrorism. "We're not applying those, so therefore if they were applied, it would certainly cover a lot of the difficulties that we see here by not signing into these three agreements," he added. Mr Murphy said that an agreement with the UK similar to the ESTA system in the US would be favourable. "We need an agreement with the United Kingdom, because that's where a lot of the people coming into the country are coming from. "As the government is saying, they can actually replicate in somewhat way the three systems that we are not signed up to in the European Union, like the ESTA," he said. 'Government hasn't a clue' - Tóibín Meanwhile, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has said that Irish immigration officials not being able to access EU databases on criminal records of asylum seekers was down to a lack of Government information. Also speaking on RTÉ's This Week, he said: The Government hasn't a clue what's going on in so many aspects to this. It took me two years of asking the Minister for Justice, where were people coming from before she actually found out," he said. "The answer is to share that information. We don't necessarily have to opt in to Schengen. The information exists and that information should be provided to all EU countries," he added. He said that his party wants to see stricter regulations on people entering the country through Northern Ireland. Mr Tóibín said he was not advocating for Northern Ireland to close its borders, but rather impose stricter checks on those coming in. The Department of Justice told the programme that while Ireland will not have access to the entry/exit system, ETIAS and the Visa Information System - the Government has opted into the EuroDac system, which is a fingerprint database for asylum seekers that will be upgraded by June of next year. It will store official documents and photographs of asylum seekers as well as their first place of application to help decrease secondary movement. The Department said that while Ireland cannot opt in to the Schengen IT systems - the State intends to legislate nationally to align with its provisions. It said the State will carry out screening on anybody who enters Ireland irregularly - this will consist of identity checks, health checks, security and criminal screening and gathering fingerprint data for the EuroDac database.
