Publication
Midlands Accommodation Centre, Lissywollen, Athlone
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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- 1. Midlands Accommodation Centre, Lissywollen, Athlone
- 2. Why this location?
- 3. Who will stay there?
- 4. When will the centre open?
- 5. What is the planning process?
- 6. How will the centre be managed?
- 7. What facilities will be at the centre?
- 8. What services are provided for people at the centre?
- 9. Increased demand on AGS
- 10. Light and Noise Pollution
- 11. Next steps
- 12. Resources for communities to support integration
- 13. Background to International Protection
- 14. What rights do people have after applying for protection?
- 15. What kind of centres do people live in?
- 16. How do we check a person’s identity?
- 17. How long does it take to process applications?
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) has begun operating an accommodation centre for people seeking international protection at Midlands Accommodation Centre, Lissywollen, Athlone on 4th December 2024.
People in the area have questions and concerns about this and we want to provide accurate information about what is known and planned for this site. This webpage aims to provide accurate, factual information about the development and how the site will now operate.
Finding accommodation for people seeking international protection has become ever more urgent due to the acute shortage of accommodation. Nearly 3,000 people have no offer of accommodation at the moment. Over the last number of weeks, because of cold and stormy weather, some of our accommodation sites for male applicants are currently out of use.
Applicants for international protection do not have access to social housing support or standard social welfare entitlements, and many of them lack a network of family or friends in the State to assist them with accommodation and therefore temporary accommodation sites such as Midlands Accommodation Centre (MAC) are an essential component of the Government’s strategy to provide basic accommodation to applicants.
The Department is obliged to begin providing accommodation to people who are in need of basic shelter and supports.
An agreement was reached between the OPW and DCEDIY for use of a portion of the site at Lissywollen, Athlone. The site being developed at Lissywollen is approximately eleven acres. The site is being developed to provide tented and modular accommodation for international protection applicants.
DCEDIY has contracted Trailhead Unlimited to manage the site. Trailhead has expertise in providing facilities management services and they have worked with the Department in the past to provide accommodation for people who have fled the war in Ukraine.
Accommodation for international protection applicants is urgently needed. The Government is developing a range of sites on existing State land for emergency tented accommodation, prefabricated and modular units. Accommodation is being sourced and delivered all over the country.
Midlands Accommodation Centre at Lissywollen is part of this strategy.
The accommodation is for single adult males who are seeking international protection.
Construction has been ongoing since early October, and the first 39 residents arrived in MAC during the morning of December 4th 2024. The site will be occupied on a phased basis. The Department hopes to be in a position to use the full capacity of Midlands Accommodation Centre during 2025.
The development is being progressed by Ministerial Order (MO) as notified to Westmeath County Council on 7 October. This process is being used as the State responds to extreme challenges in terms of accommodation for people seeking protection in Ireland. Appropriate Assessment (AA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screenings have been completed on the site. The process to develop the Ministerial Order is currently the subject of court proceedings. While these are ongoing, the Department cannot comment on the proceedings. The Department is respectful of this process, but we are also extremely concerned about the welfare of people to whom we have a legal duty of care. People are being accommodated at the site while the Ministerial Order is being reviewed.
EIA 16092024 Screening Report Lissywollen, Athlone, RESS Ltd.
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• Trailhead’s staff will be present 24/7.
• Residents will be provided with a copy of the House Rules which explains how the centre is managed. All residents are expected to follow the House Rules.
• All accommodation centres for people seeking international protection have security protection.
• There is and will continue to be a security presence on the site. A fence will be erected around the perimeter of the accommodation centre.
• All centre residents are free to come and go from the centre, as they wish, but they must sign in and out with security.
• High-performance tents are on site to accommodate people. Each tent will accommodate approximately ten people, with sufficient space for each resident in accordance with National Standards. There are currently tents to accommodate approximately 130 people on site. More tents are planned for future phases.
• Tented accommodation is viewed as a short-term solution that allows the Department time to source longer-term alternatives such as modular units.
• Catering facilities are set up on site. Residents will receive three meals per day as well as access to other food and drinks as needed.
• The contractor has provided sufficient eco-toilets and shower blocks for residents.
• Waste water will be removed from the site on a routine basis. The development of longer-term waste water solutions is being investigated and will form part of plans for more permanent accommodation solutions on the site. As plans progress, more information on services will be finalised and shared.
DCEDIY is working closely with both the HSE and our site management contractor to ensure that adequate health services are provided to residents. The Department is working with the HSE to ensure they can have an active presence on site, conducting regular clinics to provide essential healthcare. People can be referred onward to other dental or specialist healthcare services. The site management team will also collaborate with the HSE to address any challenges and bridge any gaps in services that may arise in the initial phase of site development.
The Department and the HSE are in the planning phase of the long-term delivery of health care services for those who will be accommodated at MAC.
Officials of the Department, as part of the overall planning and development of the site, are in ongoing regular contact with the HSE in relation to medium and long-term healthcare provision at the site. People will be accommodated at MAC in phases, and at each stage, service provision at the site, and in the community, will be monitored and reviewed to assess any impact, and adjusted as needed.
Arrangements are in place for the HSE to provide for the immediate healthcare needs of the first resident groups who are now here. A doctor will be available at the site on a weekly basis to carry out assessments, issue prescriptions, and arrange any necessary referrals for specialist care. A dedicated space will be provided on the site to enable consultations, and any medical aids or equipment needed will be provided.
The HSE will work with the Department at this site to enable health screening, vaccinations, and longer-term access to primary care services either through sessional GP services or existing regional health services as they are identified.
All vaccines that are recommended by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee and Department of Health policy will be provided to residents by the HSE.
Developing a transport plan and solution is an essential element of the overall development and is generally a key concern raised by community representatives. This is why DCEDIY is liaising with the National Transport Agency (NTA) to assess public transport options such as the A1 to ensure such services are sufficiently supported for all.
A shuttle bus service will be operated for residents from Lissywollen to Athlone town in the morning, and afternoon. The service will be scaled accordingly as the accommodation centre grows, with further provisions to bring residents to appointments and activities. School transport is a matter for the Department of Education and if they are impacted by the development at this site we will be working with local services to address this. A traffic management plan will be available in due course and the existing entry point will be utilised which is via the N55 towards the Lissywollen Accommodation Centre.
Trailhead will engage with NGOs to assist and promote the social integration of residents. Trailhead will schedule activities to promote the wellbeing and integration of residents. Weekly classes and workshops will take place including English language classes, CV building and job preparation workshops, introduction to life in Ireland and how to access supports and services.
An Garda Síochána has confirmed that they have no evidence of trends of increased criminal behaviour assistance with IPAS centres established within communities.
Local Councillors and some residents, including at Blackberry Lane Traveller Accommodation raised issues with light pollution resulting from security lighting at MAC. Within 48 hours lights were adjusted and the issue resolved. Works do not continue past 7pm. There is one generator on-site, located near the Department of Education entrance. It is a low-emission, low-noise model, chosen specifically to minimize environmental and noise impacts.
The Department has engaged directly with local public representatives on a number of occasions in relation to Midlands Accommodation Centre (MAC) and will continue to do so over the coming weeks. We have also met with some residents living in the immediate vicinity of the proposed centre, including those with children in the local school, and residents living in traveller accommodation locally, to answer their questions and resolve issues where we can.
The Community Engagement Team provided local elected representatives with an updated information note on December 4th, and will schedule meetings with community stakeholders. This webpage is being kept up to date with new information as the project develops.
Specific site feasibility studies will be conducted in the future should plans for modular accommodation progress. Such work has not yet commenced.
Find out more about the Community Engagement Team here.
Contact the Community Engagement Team: community@equality.gov.ie
The Local Authority Integration Team (LAIT) provides ongoing integration supports to people seeking international protection, linking them with local service providers. The LAIT co-ordinator in Westmeath County Council can be contacted via integration@westmeathcoco.ie
Community based organisations may wish to begin to plan to support the integration of people seeking international protection. There is funding available under the National Migrant Integration Strategy for the Community Recognition Fund and Community Integration Fund.
The Community Recognition Fund aims to support the development of community infrastructure and facilities for the entire community in recognition of the contribution being made by communities across the country in welcoming and hosting significant numbers of arrivals from Ukraine and other countries. €50 million is being provided under the Community Recognition Fund 2024. Westmeath County Council has been awarded €1,740,646.
The CIF enables community-based organisations across Ireland to build on their vital work in reaching out to, and helping to, integrate migrants into local communities. Successful organisations will receive grant funding of €1,000 – €5,000 to support local integration initiatives. Applicants can access a detailed guidance at the link here. €500,000 will be made available to local community-based projects nationwide to support the integration of migrants.
International Protection is the protection granted by a government to someone who has left another country to escape being harmed. All around the world, war and other crises mean that people have to leave their homes. Most of them stay near their home country, but some people travel and apply for international protection. There has been an increase in people seeking international protection in Ireland and in other EU nations over recent years.
No country can return people while they wait for decisions on their applications. This is a long established part of Irish and international law. While here, people must be provided with basic supports: somewhere to stay, education for children and the right to work after 6 months. People are also entitled to an allowance of €38.80 per week for an adult and €29.80 per week for a child.
People live in a range of centres including repurposed office blocks, tented facilities, warehouses and former hotels. People are free to move in and out of all centres but must inform management of any overnight absences. This is to ensure that maximum use of all beds is used.
All people applying for international protection in Ireland are fingerprinted by the authorities, with the data stored on Eurodac. This is an EU-wide biometric database containing fingerprints of applicants and EU / European Economic Area (EEA) nationals. If the authorities find that people who have been fingerprinted are linked to any serious crimes, they may be refused protection and returned.
As of May 2024, it can take around 18 months for applications to be processed. This consists of one application to the International Protection Office (IPO) and, if unsuccessful, one appeal to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT). In total, 98% of applicants have been in the system less than two years and 70% less than one year.
If a person’s application is successful they can live in Ireland. If a person is refused refugee status they can choose to return home voluntarily or be deported. While the International Protection Office assesses the case of international protection applicants, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth provides them with accommodation, shelter and a basic allowance.
There is currently a significant shortage of accommodation for people seeking international protection. We have set up over 230 accommodation centres across every county in Ireland. The delivery of this accommodation is being prioritised so that we can meet our legal and humanitarian obligations to provide shelter and support for vulnerable men, women and children who are seeking international protection.