Council Refutes Claims Of Collecting Migrants From Airport And Offering Preferential Housing Treatment

Wednesday, 16 July 2025 16:25

By Martin Osborne

In a statement to Kfm, the Council said it "does not collect International Protection Applicants from the Airport".

Kildare County Council has strongly refuted claims circulating online that it is collecting asylum seekers directly from airports and providing them with new housing ahead of local residents.

That's after a number of Facebook groups, some with thousands of followers, claimed that a council worker was leaking information to them making such allegations.

In a statement to Kfm, the Council said it "does not collect International Protection Applicants from the Airport".

The clarification comes amid online speculation suggesting that local authorities are actively transporting new arrivals from Dublin Airport.

The Council insists it plays "no role" in airport reception.

That task, according to the council, is carried out solely by the Department of Justice, which brings arrivals to the Citywest transit hub for processing.

From there, accommodation is managed by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) and the Ukraine Crisis Temporary Accommodation Team (UCTAT).

Kildare County Council also rejected claims that newly arrived migrants are brought to its offices for processing.

On housing, the Council says new arrivals are "not allocated" social housing and do not receive "preferential treatment".

The council confirmed, however, that it accommodates "a small number of Programme Refugees under an international resettlement programme".

Only those who’ve secured full refugee status may apply for social housing - with no advantage over any Irish applicant on the existing list, a council spokesperson said.

The Council described the recent online allegations as "entirely untrue" and "misinformation" intended to mislead".

Amid online claims that the council is assisting International Protection applicants to leave hotels they are unhappy in, the council spokesperson said the council has "no role in either the procurement, selection, or provision of accommodation for International Protection Applicants and Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection".

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