Accommodation for asylum seekers at the Thornton Hall site in North Dublin will soon become available, the Minister for Integration has promised. 

Roderic O’Gorman said tented accommodation for international protection applicants is expected to be erected on a portion of the land at Thornton Hall - which was previously earmarked to be a super-prison - within a couple of weeks.

However, some local residents have said they are getting expert legal advice on the matter and have claimed the site is a protected area.

Asylum seekers in tents at Grand Canal, 10/05/2024. Image: John Keogh

Minister O’Gorman promised any tented accommodation would not be erected near the protected area. 

“In terms of providing accommodation for those who are currently unaccomodated, my Department has been working hard over the last week and we will have additional capacity available across this week,” he said. 

“We’re working hard with other Government agencies to make ensure we can provide offers to those currently sleeping rough on the Grand Canal.” 

There are currently more than 100 tents pitched along the canal from Baggot Street Bridge to Wilton Place in Dublin 4.

Main image: Tents pitched on Grand Canal. Image: Sasko Lazarov / © RollingNews.ie