Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of direct provision and quarantining in the Dundalk area. In the centre of Dundalk, the Carroll village apartment centre is currently used as a direct provision centre and has been since 2005. The number of asylum seekers it houses varies from around 50 to 80. It is known as an own-door-type accommodation and is self-contained accommodation. I understand that approximately half of the residents have been there for five years or more.

The building itself is on the old P.J. Carroll site at the northern end of the town and is very well known to locals. Last week, it was reported on local radio that 80 Covid tests were carried out on residents of the Carroll Village centre on 20 September and that those swabs were subsequently mislaid or lost. The Taoiseach can imagine that this has caused great concern locally and many questions are now being asked. I understand that subsequent tests have been carried out. We need to find out exactly how these tests could go missing. It is important we get answers and find out if this was an isolated, once-off case or if there were many more cases. We need clarification as to whether this was an isolated case.

The Carroll Village centre is situated on the main commercial street in Dundalk and people are asking if proper public health guidelines on self-isolation and quarantine are being adhered to should a resident test positive for Covid. On quarantine, a local hotel on the outskirts of Dundalk, not far from the Carroll Village centre, is being used as a quarantine centre. Again, my understanding is that those in direct provision who need to self-isolate or quarantine are being directed to this facility for a two-week isolation period. I believe the centre is housing people from all over the country for this purpose. As the Taoiseach can imagine, this is causing great concern for people locally. The local hotel in question has been used for this purpose since the beginning of September.

The Taoiseach can appreciate my many concerns about these centres. First, regarding the Carroll Village centre, can the Taoiseach confirm whether the original 80 test swabs were mislaid? Can he also confirm that replacement tests were carried out? Can he confirm that the proper public health guidelines are being observed should a resident test positive for Covid? On the quarantine centre, I have a very real concern about the means of transport those who need to use the centre are using. The facility is located approximately 2 km from Dundalk town centre and, as I said, it is accepting people from all over the country. Does the Department provide the necessary transport for those going to the facility or do the users avail of public transport, which would be a clear breach of public health guidelines? Furthermore, when a resident's period of self-isolation is completed, what methods of transport are being used to these facilities? These are real concerns that need to be urgently addressed. The people of Dundalk, like those of the rest of the country, have made tremendous sacrifice and effort to combat this virus. We need to ensure we all work together and follow the same guidelines so we can all get back to some form of normality.

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