Concern raised over tents in Dublin as Storm Darragh approaches

Concern has been raised over asylum seekers sleeping in tents in Dublin city centre as Storm Darragh brings strong winds and heavy rains to the island of Ireland.

The storm will bring strong and gusty winds on Friday across Ireland.

Darragh is expected to bring travel disruption and dangerous travelling conditions, fallen trees and displaced objects, and power outages can be expected, as well as dangerous conditions at sea and waves overtopping in some coastal areas.

Dozens of tents were erected on an open square beside the Department of Agriculture on Kildare Street, less than 100 metres from an entrance to the grounds of the Irish parliament.

Donnchadh O Laoghaire, a spokesman for the largest opposition party Sinn Fein, said people were “outraged and upset” to see the international protection applicants living in those conditions.

He said: “People in tents on the streets of our capital city is no good for anyone.

“It is certainly no good for international protection applicants, and their dignity and welfare, nor is it good for communities in our cities.”

The Irish Refugee Council said some of these people had been accommodated indoors in the CityWest accommodation centre in recent days but have since been forced to sleep rough.

He added: “We are in the depths of winter. We are going to be facing into nights of desperate cold and heavy rain.

“No-one should be forced to face the elements relying on tents, pitched on the streets.”

He called on the Government to “get a grip” of the situation.

The Department of Integration said offers of accommodation had been made to people who had stayed in tents on Kildare Street overnight.

Since December 2023, the Department has not had sufficient capacity available to accommodate all people seeking international protection. Currently, 3,024 people remain without an offer.

The Department said while most people have found their own accommodation, some have been forced to sleep rough.

It added that it has started moving people to a new accommodation centre in Athlone, which will have capacity for up to 1,000 residents.

Met Eireann’s deputy head of forecasting Liz Coleman said: “Storm Darragh is going to bring quite impactful winds across the country through Friday and into Saturday as the centre of the storm tracks across the northwest of the country.

“While it will be windy everywhere, it’s the gusts which can be the most damaging.

“The intense winds are expected to occur overnight but will continue for a time into Saturday morning, especially in those counties under orange wind warnings.

“We ask people to be prepared and to secure any loose objects ahead of the storm and to plan their journeys safely if they need to be out on Saturday morning as there could be trees or power lines down.

“There will also be heavy rain associated with Storm Darragh which may lead to some localised flooding, along with hazardous travelling conditions.”

A status yellow wind warning was put in place for Counties Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal between 1pm and 9pm on Thursday, and a similar warning also applied between midday and 6pm for Co Kerry.

On Friday night, these seven counties will be under a status orange wind warning from 10pm until 9am on Saturday.

This brings the potential impacts of fallen trees, damage to power lines, very difficult travelling conditions, damage to temporary structures and wave overtopping.

All of the province of Munster, as well as Clare, Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Longford, Louth, Meath and Westmeath can also expect heavy rain on Friday followed by heavy showers on Saturday morning.

A yellow rain warning in these counties between 10am on Friday and 10am on Saturday also carries the risk of localised flooding.

Meanwhile, a yellow wind warning will apply to all of the Republic of Ireland from 3pm on Friday to 3pm on Saturday.

Forecaster Met Eireann is also implementing a status orange wind warning for Waterford, Wicklow and Wexford between midnight and 9am on Saturday.

Keith Leonard, national director of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, advised that “everyone should take extra care”.

He added: “I would also urge the public to stay away from coastal areas during this period and to heed the appeal from the Irish Coast Guard for people to ‘Stay Back, Stay High, Stay Dry’.”

Meanwhile, a yellow warning for wind is in place for Northern Ireland until 3am on Friday, followed by a further yellow wind warning from 3pm on Friday evening all the way through to 6am on Sunday.

A more severe amber wind warning will come into place in the middle of that period from 3am until 9pm on Saturday. There is also a yellow rain warning from 3pm on Friday until midday on Saturday.