Last asylum seekers moved out of Athlone tents

The last remaining residents of tents that were set up in Athlone to accommodate over 170 asylum seekers have been moved out of the makeshift facility.

The process of moving the asylum seekers out of tents at the direct provision centre in Lissywollen, and into more suitable accommodation elsewhere in the country, began in mid-November.

However, this process appeared to take on an added sense of urgency in the last fortnight, as sub-zero temperatures became more frequent.

The tented camp was put in place in Lissywollen at the end of the summer, and more than 170 male asylum seekers were moved into the tents in late September.

The first group of 20 residents was moved out of the tents on November 18, and the remaining residents were then moved out in phases, with the last 20 believed to have left the site on Friday last, December 9.

It's understood some of the first residents who were moved from the tents were brought to stay in a former ESB building at East Wall in Dublin, while others have been accommodated in hotels in the Dublin area.

Gerry Callaghan, chair of the New Horizon Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support organisation in Athlone, welcomed the fact that the residents had now been moved out of the tents.

He described the living conditions in the tents as "appalling", saying this was no criticism of the staff in Lissywollen, who were doing their very best amid difficult circumstances.

A spokesperson for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth confirmed to the Westmeath Independent on Monday that there were no asylum seekers - formally known as international protection applicants - residing in any tented accommodation in the State.

We asked the Department if the tents in Lissywollen would now be dismantled, or if they would be left in place for possible use again at a future date.

The reply we received didn't rule this out. It simply stated: "The Department cannot comment further at this time, except to say that all residents have been moved from the tented accommodation into more suitable accommodation."

In addition to the camp in Athlone, tented facilities had been set up for asylum seekers in some other parts of the country such as Tralee, and Knockalisheen in County Clare.

The Department of Children had faced criticism last weekend over the continued use of the tents in Clare as temperatures fell below zero and a prolonged cold spell was forecast.

The use of tented accommodation was criticised by President Michael D Higgins last weekend.

"It is something that should concern all us," President Higgins told RTE. "It shouldn't happen anywhere. We really have to solve it."