Protesting asylum seekers return to Limerick

A group of Nigerian women and their young children who came to Dublin to highlight the condition of their accommodation are returning to their Limerick hostel.

The five women came to Dublin looking for alternative accommodation after they claimed their hostel in Foynes, Co Limerick, was not fit for children.

They stayed outside the Asylum Applications Office in Mount Street all day on Thursday and were prepared to sleep on the streets. However, the situation was avoided after gardaí at the Bridewell Station compiled a list of available hostels in Dublin for the women.

According to Rosanna Flynn of Residents Against Racism, there were up to 10 people sharing a room in the hostel with children, and there was not enough toilet facilities for those staying there. She said the women had requested numerous times to be moved.

However, the Department of Justice denied the hostel accommodation was not up to standard, saying the Foynes hostel was inspected last week by a senior RIA (Reception and Integration Agency) official.

"RIA has extremely high standards for accommodation," a spokesman for the Department of Justice said. "There are strict criteria that contractors must adhere to. RIA also conducts regular, unannounced inspections."

He added that people were free to submit a request to be moved to new accommodation.

Ms Flynn also criticised the treatment the women received from immigration officials in Mount Street, saying the women had been treated "appallingly", describing the attitude of the officials at the Mount Street office as "hostile".