Arrival of asylum seekers to Kilkenny hotel has commenced 'on a phased basis' - Department

The arrival of international protection applicants to Kilkenny commenced today and will continue 'on a phased basis' over the coming days, a spokesperson from the Department of Integration told Kilkenny Live.

There was notable confusion earlier this week around the arrival timeframe of the asylum seekers, with elected officials and local authority representatives reportedly receiving conflicting and changing correspondence on the issue.

Residential property in Kilkenny City sold for over €1.7 million

The Department of Integration have since stated that 'it is often not possible to engage with local communities to the extent that is sought'.

A Department spokesperson further informed Kilkenny Live that 'in the context of accommodation shortages, the Department has no option but to consider all offers of accommodation is availing of all offers made to it, including the use of office buildings and sports facilities, to address the accommodation shortfall'.

They added that 'there have been 92 accommodation locations utilised across 17 counties' since January of last year and that 'all of the limited accommodation capacity within the IPAS system is currently being used'.