Departments yet to publish review into direct centre opening, a year after it closed

A government department is yet to publish a review on the opening of a direct provision centre in Kerry, one year on from when the centre closed.

It’s a year to the day since the last residents left the Skellig Star, a direct provision centre in Cahersiveen. In March 2020, as the coronavirus crisis hit the country, the Department of Justice opened a direct provision centre in the former Skellig Star Hotel in Cahersiveen.

In June of last year, following public outcry, former Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan ordered a review into the opening of direct provision centres during the pandemic, including the centre in Cahersiveen. After residents, the local community and public representatives voiced their concerns, it was announced in late July that the centre in Cahersiveen was to be closed.

The last residents left the centre on September 2^nd, 2020.

Responsibility for direct provision was moved from the Department of Justice to the Department of Integration last year; despite numerous requests by Radio Kerry, neither department can say when, or if, the review will be published.

The report ordered by the former minister was due to be finalised in August of 2020; it’s still awaited, a year after the last residents departed.

Eamonn Hickson has been looking back on opening of the Skellig Star Direct Provision Centre.