Mosney a former holiday camp in Meath is now home for asylum seekers and their children.
The residents at the former Butlin's holiday resort have accommodation, meals, laundry, a crèche, children's play areas, a homework club and a limited transport service to nearby Drogheda. Many residents experience loneliness and isolation as they are living away from Irish communities.
Teacher at the homework club Julie Christie praises the efforts of the children in learning English. Many of them are learning the language for the first time and are appreciative of any help that they receive. Last year, 150 babies were born between February and June to mothers living in Mosney. Crèche Manager Liz O'Reilly outlines some of the challenges the children face from language difficulties to the trauma that they may have experienced.
On 1 May, the European Union will welcome ten new countries as members. The services offered at Mosney will no longer be available to people from the ten new accession states. Four hundred residents will be required to leave their state provided accommodation. Petra Olahova and Avna Vockova are Czech citizens so will become EU citizens. However, they will have to leave Mosney and will have nowhere to live.
While facilities at Mosney are described as "high standard", residents have complained of feeling physically isolated and cut off from Irish community life. The closest village of Julianstown is two miles away and the town of Drogheda is six miles away. Collete O'Regan, One World Spirit Support Group, explains that many residents are removed from their own asylum process and are unaware of what stage their application is at.
They haven't heard anything.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 29 April 2004. The reporter is Sharon Ní Bheoláin.
