A CHILD LIVING in asylum seeker accommodation centre was hospitalised due a pest infestation in the centre.

This was one of many issues found during the first series of inspections of the centres by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).

Overcrowding, lack of access to cooking facilities and lack of transportation were among the other problems observed and reported. 

Safeguarding measures were sometimes not in place, particularly in relation to vulnerable adults, and some staff were not Garda vetted as is required.

The centres inspected in January were Hanratty’s Hotel in Co Limerick, Hazel Hotel in Co Kildare, Knockalisheen Accommodation Centre in Co Clare, and St Patrick’s Accommodation Centre in Co Monaghan.

Governance and management structures in centres were generally underdeveloped, HIQA reports, with some having high levels of non-compliance with national standards.

Risk management was found to be an area that needed improvement across the inspections.

Infestation

At St Patrick’s, inspectors found pests across six family units, and residents in an additional 13 units reported infestations in their living quarter. Inspectors had to issue an immediate action for a full risk analysis to be carried out.

“One child had been admitted to hospital as direct result of the presence of pests in their family accommodation,” the report said.

“While measures had been taken by the service provider through contracting a pest control company, these measures were ineffective in the longer term.

“There was no system in place by the service provider to monitor this risk and to ensure a consistently safe and comfortable living environment was provided to residents at all times.”

HIQA found the use of tented accommodation in one centre, “which was an inappropriate form of accommodation which could not promote, respect or uphold basic human rights of individuals or comply with national standards”.

Head of Programme for Monitoring International Protection Accommodation Service Centres Bronagh Gibson, said: “Inspectors found safeguarding issues across the centres assessed, including failures to ensure staff were Garda vetted.

“There was also an absence of safeguarding policies in a number of centres, particularly in relation to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults. 

“It is essential that asylum seekers, who are often a vulnerable population, are safe and protected from risk.”