Women and children fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine - who arrived on flights to Dublin Airport yesterday - spent the night in a terminal building there because of a shortage of State-provided accommodation.
The arrangement is a stopgap measure put in place while more facilities are prepared for them to stay.
The Department of Children confirmed that around 40 people spent the night in the old terminal building at the airport last night, after more were transferred to Citywest yesterday evening.
However, the arrival of more people on early morning flights means the numbers being catered for at the airport had gone back up to around 180 by 9am.
RTÉ understands that almost 90% are Ukrainian.
Around 20 people seeking international protection are also staying at the building and some of them have spent two nights there. It is understood that fewer than ten people have spent two nights in the building.
A bus taking around 50 mainly women and children left the old terminal building for Citywest this morning.
A second bus, with just a handful of people on board, brought applicants for international protection to the International Protection Office on Mount Street in Dublin.
RTÉ News understands that at least two more busses departed the Dublin Airport facility, transporting people to the Citywest transit hub.
At one stage during the day, there were just 30 remaining at the old terminal building at Dublin.
Food, water, hot drinks and, where possible, air mattresses are provided to those staying at facility.
It is understood that there is currently no hot food available to those staying there.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has confirmed that there are no shower facilities available in the building.
In a statement it said: "It is important to note that the building in use is not built for overnight sleeping. While it is far from ideal for arrivals to stay here, this has been used only as a temporary measure while the Government works to find alternative accommodation without delay."
Yesterday, over 200 people were transferred out of the old terminal building to other accommodation, most to the Citywest transit hub.
The Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) has raised concerns about overcrowding there.
That facility has 370 bed spaces.
Tricia Nolan of the South Dublin County Volunteer Centre - who leads a team of volunteers at the transit hub - said that they were trying to accommodate over 1,000 people at the hub a few days ago.
It is understood that people applying for International Protection remain at the hub for longer than Ukrainian refugees, who benefit from temporary protection, and for whom there are more accommodation options available.
"They don't know how long are they going to be there, and the numbers are just alarming, it's a big concern as to what's going to happen," said Lucky Khambule, co-founder of MASI.
The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O'Gorman said two key priorities are ceasing the use of the old terminal at the airport to accommodate new arrivals and addressing overcrowding at the Citywest transit hub.
The arrangement to use the old terminal as temporary accommodation was made because the Citywest Transit Hub was full.
New reception centre to be 'procured shortly'
It comes as a new reception centre to accommodate Ukrainian refugees, similar to the one in operation at Citywest, is expected to be procured shortly.
Earlier, the Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar, said a site had been identified but he could not go into details because contracts have not yet been agreed.
It's understood a number of possible sites, in the Dublin area, were discussed between ministers on Thursday night.
A number of Government sources have said an agreement is expected shortly and it's hoped an additional reception centre could open as quickly as possible.
This would accommodate refugees immediately after their arrival in Dublin Airport.
A tented camp at the Gormanston army base in Meath is to be operational by early next week.
It's understood that a process is under way to set up additional tents on the grounds of existing direct provision centres. But Government sources said these are for "contingency" and would only be used as a last resort.
The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O'Gorman said earlier that it had not yet been confirmed if the second transit hub will be exclusively for International Protection applicants, or whether it will also, or exclusively, accommodate Ukrainian refugees.
Govt trying to accelerate response over number of refugees arriving here
The Taoiseach has said that the Government was trying to accelerate its response to the numbers of people coming as refugees to Ireland.
Speaking at a jobs announcement in Co Donegal, Micheál Martin said the country was dealing with "unprecedented times" due to the humanitarian crisis caused by the war on Ukraine.
He said there had also been a significant surge in the number of other people who wanted to come from other countries.
He said the Government was attempting to ramp up its response to deal with the challenge.
"At yesterday's meeting we worked on an inter-departmental basis to say we've got to accelerate some of these projects, both in terms of the reconfiguration of the buildings that have been identified that can be made available for those coming in.
"But we're also doing further analysis on what is the reasoning behind this surge in those who are seeking international protection which is proving problematic in terms of securing placements."
The Taoiseach said while it was challenging he remained confident the problems could be overcome.
Meanwhile, the Tánaiste has said the country needs to "pull out all the stops" to find additional accommodation for Ukrainian refugees travelling here.
Speaking in Galway this afternoon, Leo Varadkar said Ireland was facing an unprecedented situation, with close to 100,000 people expected to move to the country this year.
He said 40,000 had travelled from Ukraine and that around 30,000-40,000 work permits had been issued to fill crucial skills gaps in sectors like healthcare and education. In addition, some 15,000 applications for international protection are expected this year.
The Tánaiste also said that Gormanston, where a military camp will be open to refugees from Monday, would not be the only army base to be used to house refugees.
Minister for Children Roderic O'Gorman said that the Government is confident that the first tranche of modular housing will be delivered by "November of this year".
Minister O'Gorman told RTÉ's News at One that it is his understanding that there is "an eight-week construction timeframe. Hopefully the full order of 500 will be completed early next year".
He said the Government is aiming to ensure that Ukrainian refugees spend no longer than one night in the old terminal building at Dublin Airport.
The minister also said that when students return to third level in September, ending the use of student accommodation for refugees "will be a challenge for us".
'Significant overcrowding'
Lucky Khambule, co-founder of Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI), has said that the facility in Citywest is experiencing significant overcrowding and he is deeply concerned about the ongoing situation.
Margarita Kalinichenko, from volunteer group Ukrainian Action, said most people in the airport yesterday were moved to Citywest but some people are still sleeping on the floor in the old terminal.
Ms Kalinichenko said there were about 150 people sleeping in the old airport terminal, including people who arrived in Ireland yesterday.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, she said that her orgainisation tried to provide these people with some hot food and mattresses to make conditions better.
"But people are still very positive, and they're looking forward to starting a new chapter," she added.
She said she understands the people staying in the old terminal are both Ukrainian and from other countries.
While there is a shower in the facility, she said no toiletries have been provided to those staying there.
Ms Kalinichenko said her group expects another 50 people to come from Ukraine over the weekend.
People coming here have been told about the accommodation situation, she said.
"But to be honest, when you're a refugee, you know that this situation can happen and you see the situation in other countries as well. You just need to accept it if you want [to come]," she added.
People would like to return to their homes in Ukraine if the area that they come from is "quieter" and safer, she said.
"They're trying to return to their normal life, which is absolutely understandable. It's hard to live on your backs all the time," Ms Kalinichenko said.
Govt spend on Ukrainian refugees could exceed €1 billion
The Minister for Public Expenditure has said the amount of money the Government will spend accommodating Ukrainian people here this year could exceed €1 billion.
Michael McGrath also acknowledged that the Government is facing significant pressure in sourcing suitable accommodation for all those arriving here.
He accepted that more people will have to be accommodated in tented villages like Gormanston, which opens next Monday.
He also said deportations will resume shortly of people who were unsuccessful in their applications for international protection here and for whom all avenues of appeal have been exhausted.
RTÉ News understands there are several hundred people in this category. The Government had paused their deportations for more than two years in some cases during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Number of refugees arriving here 'can't be capped'
Green Party Senator Pauline O'Reilly has said that Government does not have the power to put a cap on the number of Ukrainian refugees.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today programme, Ms O’Reilly said that "no country within the European Union can put a cap on those coming into the country," adding that it is "not legally possible to do it".
Ms O’Reilly added that this is what Ireland "signed up to" and that it is outside of the control of the Government.
"Britain is outside of the EU so they can put whatever kind of cap they want. But I don’t want to be Britain. The reality is that people are choosing to come to Ireland and there are direct flights from Poland. People are dying today, people died yesterday," she said.
"I acknowledge and the Government has always said that this is going to be difficult for the country but we are in a war and we would expect other countries to do the same," she said.
Speaking on the same programme, Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway Walsh said that Ireland had been expecting 40,000 refugees from Ukraine by April and should be capable of catering for that figure at this stage.
"The Government has again failed on this. They urgently need to put a coherent plan in place," she said.
"I’m also concerned that payments are not getting to local authorities. For those who have provided accommodation, I'm hearing back that they haven’t had any payments. They cannot sustain that kind of credit level. There are blockages in the system and they need to get a grip of it," Ms Conway Walsh added.
This evening, Fianna Fáil Senator Mary Fitzpatrick described as "unsubstantiated" reports that some accommodation providers have not had their offers of accommodation to Ukrainian refugees taken up.
"That is unsubstantiated. I suggest you go to the department and ask them for a response," she told RTÉ's Drivetime programme.
Local authorities have been assessing the suitability of properties after accommodation is pledged to the Red Cross.
UNHCR criticises UK Rwanda policy
Ireland's head of office with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said he had not seen "any strong evidence" that UK's Rwanda policy has caused an increase in the number of applications for asylum in Ireland.
Enda O'Neill said there have been 380-400 asylum applications per week in Ireland since May, describing this level as "relatively stable".
Speaking to RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr O'Neill said that the UNHCR has "publicly spoken against" the Rwanda policy.
No transfers have taken place yet, he said, and the UK Home Office said it will not conduct removal flights while the Conservative leadership contest is ongoing.
"I haven't seen any strong evidence to suggest it's a major factor," he said.
Meanwhile, Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik called for a "scaled-up response from Government, in particular on Ukraine".
She said that she brought into Leinster House members of the Ukraine Civil Society Forum two weeks ago and at that point they had called for a national refugee response lead.
Speaking to RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Ms Bacik said: "We do need to see a scaled up response. We need to see much more swift movement on scaled up modular housing provision, on short term transit facilities, so that women and children are not sleeping on floors at Dublin Airport."
