A specialist in public health medicine told the Department of Justice that it was unacceptable to keep Kerry direct provision residents in their rooms 24 hour per day.
Consultant in Public Health Medicine Dr Anne Sheahan wrote to the Department of Justice on the 28th April, outlining her concerns for residents in the Skellig Star Accommodation Centre in Cahersiveen.
This was over six weeks after the residents were moved to the centre amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the former hotel, the Department of Justice and various health bodies held meetings discussing the changing situation and ways to protect residents.
On the 28th April, Dr Anne Sheahan, a consultant in public health, noted a number of concerns: she said the residents have no privacy from the public due to the centre's street side position; the only lift in the building is small and cannot be monitored; and there is only a small 'yard' out back which the residents have been unable to use because of building materials.
She also said, as there was no other area to allows residents to take brief exercise, this would mean keeping them in their rooms 24 hours a day.
Dr Sheahan said this is unacceptable.
The correspondence to the department, which was released under the FOI act, noted she was concerned the location was totally unsuitable to accommodate the residents during a two-week isolation period, as there was no place to get exercise or fresh air.
Dr Sheahan urged the department to consider seeking alternative accommodation for the residents immediately.
The correspondence was released under the FOI Act to NAISC Skellig Kerry Diaspora Network.
