Originally published March 5th. Updated Monday 6th at 10pm
The former Abbeyfield Hotel in Ballaghaderreen, which has been transformed into an Emergency Reception and Orientation Centre is set to receive it’s first intake of refugees on March 14th.
A first group of 39 people were due to arrive in Ballaghaderreen tomorrow with a second group of 40 people is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday week, March 14th. However, the Minister of State for Justice, David Stanton has now announced that for “operational reasons” both groups will move in March 14th. A third group is set to arrive in April.
37 children will be among the group who are set to arrive to the Centre this. The figure includes 13 children under the age of four, 19 children in the five to 12 age category and 4 children over the age of thirteen. The Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board have advertised for the position of Primary School Teacher to help the children prepare of entry into Irish Primary Schools. Overall up to 20 local people are to be employed at the facility and local businesses have secured contracts for the provision of good and services.
Asylum seekers who are accommodated in an Emergency Reception and Orientation Centre are typically there for a period of up to 6 months. During that time they will receive refugee or some other form of immigration status and will subsequently be resettled in other parts of Ireland. During their temporary stay in the EROC the Irish Refugee Protection Programme will link them in with a range of services including English language training.
Officials from the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) will visit the Centre on a weekly basis to check if the services for the residents are running smoothly and to co-ordinate local services as required.