Security guard at IPAS centre accused of ‘smoking weed’ while on duty, while knives are found in multiple rooms

12/08/2025

A Department of Equality inspector has said the management of an asylum (IPAS) centre must ‘immediately’ address a resident’s allegation that a security guard was ‘smoking weed’ while on duty.

The allegation was raised by a resident of Drumcreehy House, in Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare, who approached an inspector to tell them a security guard had been ‘smoking weed’ on the night shift.

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The inspection was carried out as part of a series of International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centre inspections by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

Alber Capital Limited, operator of Drumcreehy House, was told by the inspector the matter ‘needs to be addressed immediately by centre management’. The same resident also claimed residents were being made to clean up the grounds surrounding the centre because the grounds staff were no longer employed on the premises.

The inspector noted this complaint, but did not state that centre management must remedy the situation. The inspection also found that a knife was visible in one resident’s living space. The report said the centre manager ‘must discuss this with staff and remind them that knives are to be kept in the kitchen area only’.

Drumcreehy House was one of four separate IPAS centres where inspection reports noted there were knives in residents’ living spaces.

In Abbey Hostel, also in Co. Clare, the inspector found ‘multiple rooms had large and sharp knives in them’. The inspection also discovered a ‘number of common areas are not covered by CCTV’ and the main door could not be loc

The inspector was approached by a woman at the hostel who asked to be moved to a separate room as she was sharing with her sister and her sister’s partner. The request was deemed to be based on ‘religious values’.

In the Clare Lakelands Hotel, the inspector noted there had been ‘knives found in multiple rooms’. They commented that there was no reason for the residents to have knives in their rooms, and they should be ‘confiscated’.

The inspection of Clare Lakelands Hotel also noted there were ‘issues with the locks on several doors’, recommending staff should have access to a master key in case of an emergency.

An inspection at Ballybrit Accommodation Centre in Co. Galway found a ‘large kitchen knife’ in one of the bedrooms. The manager of this site was told to remind residents that knives should be restricted to the kitchen area.

Reports also noted serious issues with overcrowding at all four sites. It was noted that hot water at Abbey Hostel only runs from 5 am to 9 am and 6 pm to 10 pm. A number of toilets were also found to be ‘unable to flush properly’.

One room had ‘missing floorboards’, which was deemed very unsafe as a woman who was seven months pregnant lived there. She told inspectors she reported this to management several times.