Asylum seekers are being housed in emergency accommodation provided by private hotels in Dundalk, Dublin, Waterford and the Cavan-Monaghan area since late December and early January because the 38 direct provision centres across the country are full to capacity.

The government is said to be under “severe pressure” to cope with the rise in the number of applicants seeking international protection in Ireland and has paid over €1.6 million to provide emergency accommodation.

Since last September, Trenthall Ltd, who are contracted by the Department of Justice following increased pressure on its Reception and Integration Agency (RIA), have sourced emergency accommodation as part of their directives from the Government. The company pays hotels and B&Bs in exchange for providing food and rooms.

Since January 2019, 134 people have sought international protection in Ireland and are now being housed in emergency accommodation in Dublin, Louth, and Waterford following a call for further emergency accommodation by the Department of Justice.

The Irish Times reports that eight asylum seekers are currently being housed in Louth. Whilst the Department of Justice maintains that emergency accommodation is only a temporary measure for those seeking asylum, concerns have been raised about the extended periods of time that asylum seekers are having to spend in hotels and B&B's while they are waiting to be housed in direct provision centres.