Taxpayers hit for €500 Dublin to Mayo taxi fare for three ‘asylum shoppers’Ali Bracken
March 27 2022 02:30 AM
Three asylum seekers from Palestine who arrived in Dublin Airport last Wednesday were taken by taxi to Co Mayo at a cost of €500 to the taxpayer, as government agencies struggle to find accommodation and transport for refugees.
The three single men, all in their 20s, arrived on a flight from Italy on Wednesday morning. They said they wished to claim asylum and were processed by officers from the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).
As is protocol, the asylum seekers then officially entered the refugee system, so it became the responsibility of the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) to secure the men’s transportation to their new temporary lodgings — either a direct provision centre or emergency hotel accommodation.
When possible, IPAS puts asylum seekers in temporary accommodation in Ballymun or Swords in north Dublin upon arrival. However, none was available, and the men were instead sent via taxi to emergency accommodation in Claremorris, Co Mayo. This taxi trip cost €500, it is understood.
A spokesperson from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth — which oversees IPAS — said the department “does not comment on individual cases”.
While people fleeing the invasion of Ukraine are not entering the country seeking asylum, the influx is “putting a strain” on the accommodation availability for all of those seeking refuge.
Read on:
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/taxpayers-hit-for-500-dublin-to-mayo-taxi-fare-for-three-asylum-shoppers-41491413.html
