The provider of an International Protection accommodation facility in Dublin failed to identify residents' sleeping arrangements as a welfare risk, according to the Health Information and Quality Authority.
An inspection report - one of six published today - states that the sleeping arrangements impacted the dignity and privacy of residents and were not in line with requirements of the Housing Act.
When inspectors visited the centre accommodating 231 people at the time, they found 11 families where children aged ten years and above were sharing bedrooms with parents or siblings of a different gender.
HIQA has said this had a potential to lead to "accumulative harm" to the children.
The report states that the provider had plans to relocate some families to more suitable accommodation within the centre and had "engaged with the relevant Government department" abouts the issue.
However, it had not formally identified it as a welfare risk and as a result, the matter was not included on the centre's risk register.
Despite this, the report states that the service actively supported the educational and recreational needs of children in the centre, and this was supported by centre policy.
At the time of the inspection, all school-going children had school placements and child-friendly spaces for play and schoolwork, such as the after-school club, teenagers’ play room, and play area for children had been established.
In contrast, another centre in Kerry with 69 residents had limited facilities available for children.
Toys and books were available in communal areas, however, HIQA found that the dedicated space for children to play or complete homework was not suitable or safe.
While residents said they were treated with respect in the Co Kerry centre, the report says the management team was not aware of responsibilities in terms of notifying safeguarding incidents to HIQA.
Inspectors found that one "serious safeguarding incident" had been recorded but not notified to the regulator, despite this being a requirement.
Ultimately, a process ensuring adverse events were reported had been established, but was not followed.
Providers in charge of the two centres were required to submit compliance plans to demonstrate how they would make improvements to ensure compliance with the national standards.
HIQA found that the four remaining centres located in Galway, Waterford and Cork were compliant in all standards.
Inspections 'really critical' in order for appropriate response
John Lannon, Chief Executive of Doras, a charity that promotes the rights of refugees and migrants has said inspections of IPAS centres are "really critical" to ensure staff and management respond appropriately to the needs of residents.
"What we see from those reports bears out we are hearing in organisations like Doras and if we look more broadly across HIQA inspections, that's the case. Shortcomings in areas of safeguarding, governance, risk management," he said.
The latest report highlighted a welfare risk around sleeping arrangements at The Towers in Clondalkin.
Mr Lannon said a situation where children of a certain age are having to share bedrooms with children and adults of other genders is "extremely difficult for everyone concerned".
He said overcrowding also remains a concern at some IPAS centres, where families of more than five are sharing the same room for "an extended period of time".
Mr Lannon said while he welcomes HIQA's ongoing inspections of permanent IPAS centres, he is more concerned about emergency accommodation centres.
"We are seeing much more concerning issues across all of those," he said, adding: "There are 25,000 people in those centres, 7,500 of them are children".
He said his charity hears about issues of overcrowding, poor food quality and poor attitudes from staff and lack of training of staff.
"There is often no understanding of the traumas people have gone through and no understanding of how to respond appropriately".
