Hearns Hotel in Clonmel is to be used as an Accommodation Centre for asylum seekers. The Department with responsibility for Integration issued a briefing note yesterday that confirms the arrival of 87 persons for the Clonmel town centre location. The people arriving will be couples and families. The interior of the hotel has been modified and the 87 people will be accommodated in 31 bedrooms as the Department has contracted the entirety of the complex. The briefing note says the property owners reports that the hotel only had a 10% occupancy rate in recent times and adds that there is a lot of alternative hotel accommodation in the town and it’s hinterland. The property is owned by Mohsin Manzoor Hospitality Ltd who have previous experience in running accommodation for asylum seekers and refugees from Ukraine.
According to the briefing note there will be at least 10 staff on site each day and food service is to be a self – catering service with residents also being provided with shop vouchers and refreshment stations available 24 hours every day. The residents will be entitled to apply for a medical card and can seek permission to work after being present for five months.
Asylum seekers are not entitled to apply for or avail of social housing or the Housing Assistance Payment(HAP) while their claim for asylum is being determined. Applicants who have permission to access the labour market can avail of Intreo supports and services.
The briefing note also reveals that as of June 12th the State is providing accommodation to 31, 116 people seeking asylum in Ireland. This year to date 9,285 people have arrived in Ireland seeking refugee. The total for 2023 was 12,281.
The Government has also contracted for the installation of 82 modular homes at Heywood Road in Clonmel to provide accommodation for Ukrainian refugees. At present there are 64,304 people from Ukraine being provided with accommodation in Ireland under the Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection Directive.
