A FAMILY OF five staying in international protection accommodation who were facing a transfer from Dublin to the other side of the country have had the decision reversed.

As reported by The Journal last week, the family were facing the move by the Department of Justice’s asylum accommodation services because of Dublin’s housing crisis.

The family, originally from Nigeria, have been granted full legal status as international protection claimants by the Irish government and are currently staying in International Protection Accommodation Service (Ipas) accommodation in Dublin 8.

According to department figures, more than 7,000 people with legal status have left Ipas accommodation and progressed into the community.

However, the family in Dublin 8 are among those who cannot get out of the Ipas accommodation because of the lack of available housing in the capital.

The parents, who work in the healthcare sector as carers, were told instead that they would all be moved to an accommodation centre in Co Mayo.

However, the family and local volunteer group Inchicore for All objected to the transfer and appealed for the family to be given a chance to stay on in Dublin until they could find a place to rent.

A spokesperson from the Inchicore for All group told The Journal that they were delighted to see the family granted a decision to stay in their current accommodation, particulary as the new school year gets underway for their young children.

“We are very happy that this much loved, hardworking family who contribute a lot to our community are being allowed to stay here a while longer,” the group said.

The spokesperson said it would have been “nonsensical” for Ipas to “remove them from their jobs, schools and support network and move them to another Ipas centre hundreds of kilometres away despite the fact they have full legal status”.

“We understand we are in the midst of a housing crisis but permanent, sustainable solutions need be delivered, not haphazard temporary measures that serve no value to the taxpayer and cause undue heartache and stress for families,” the spokesperson added.

The group outlined that government and local authority bodies need to coordinate their approach to homelessness and avoid other families being put into “extremely stressful situations” like this in the future.

The Department of Justice, which does not typically comment on individual cases, previously told The Journal that it was “very mindful of the challenges that exist for people in trying to move on from Ipas accommodation” due to the significant pressure on housing.

To help people move from Ipas accommodation and find housing in their community, Ipas works in collaboration with charities including DePaul Ireland and the Peter McVerry Trust, as well as the Department of Housing and local authorities.