Allegations of sexual abuse, physical assault and racial discrimination made by residents of IPAS centres
Darragh Mc Donagh
Allegations of sexual abuse, physical assaults and racial discrimination were among more than 335 complaints made by residents of IPAS centres about their accommodation last year.
A roof collapsed in the bedroom of an IPAS centre in Wexford last July, while there were reports of a shortage of drinking water at a centre in Dublin during the same month, according to a record of complaints.
A resident complained about video footage being recorded in a bedroom at a centre in Monaghan last September, while several complaints were received about infestations of rats and cockroaches in Kildare and Donegal.
A woman was attacked at an IPAS facility in Limerick in September, according to one complaint, and a report of sexual abuse was made by a resident in Dublin on November 5th.
A member of the public allegedly assaulted an IPAS resident in Dublin last June, while another individual in Longford lodged a complaint about being asked for money by a fellow resident during the following month.
Last September, there was a complaint about alleged discrimination by the management of an IPAS centre in Donegal, and a report of staff being racist at a facility in Dublin during the following month.
There were multiple complaints of assaults at centres across the country, and 11 complaints specifically about IPAS centre management in Sligo. There were also several complaints about food and the removal of fridges from rooms.
During a six-month period from June to November 2025, 29 per cent of complaints were made by residents of IPAS centres in Dublin, 17 in Donegal, and nine in Galway.
Out of 113 complaints received during this period, 46 were about management and staff, 38 were about living conditions and facilities, and 30 related to other residents and safety.
The details were contained in records released by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration under the Freedom of Information Act.
The IPAS complaint procedure requires that residents seek to resolve issues with centre management in the first instance, after which issues can be formally referred to IPAS for investigation.
Where residents are not satisfied with the outcome of their complaints, they may refer the matter to the Office of the Ombudsman or the Office of the Ombudsman for Children, according to the department’s website.
