Two men have been charged with committing an arson attack on Drogheda IPAS centre - Judith Bellmunt explains the aftermath.
On 31 October, an International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centre in Drogheda, was set on fire by two men, Josh Devlin (24) of Bettystown and Johnathan Judge (22) of Ardee. At the time of the fire, 28 international protection applicants were inside. Four children, including a baby, were among five people rescued from the top floor of the centre. A number of the inhabitants were brought to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, following the incident and were found to have had no serious injuries.
At first it was believed that the culprit set the staircase on fire with fireworks thrown in by the window. However, subsequent investigation by Gardaí found that the fire was started inside and it is suspected that accelerant was used. The Irish Refugee Council said in a statement on 2 November, "If not for the Fire Service, this could have been even more serious".
This comes in the wake of recent news that a man who had applied for international protection was charged in court for committing a serious sexual assault against a ten year old girl in west Dublin. Although the perpetrator had been refused protection, he was still being accommodated within an IPAS centre during the time period allowed before deportation. This sparked violent protests outside the IPAS centre in Citywest, which is used to accommodate asylum seekers, where protestors used projectiles and fireworks.
Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Refugee Council, Nick Henderson, has called for an extensive security review of IPAS centres to be carried out, adding that dozens of arson attacks have occurred at locations proposed for centres over the years. Minister of State for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Colm Brophy, has also said that an urgent security review of all IPAS centres will take place.
The Irish Refugee Council said in a public statement "This appalling incident is another salient reminder of the need for strong leadership - both locally and nationally - to stand against hatred and uphold compassion and solidarity."