Worker suspended after reporting “distressing” treatment of refugees in IPAS centre

The formal Protected Disclosure, seen by JOE, refers to an incident in April 2026 "involving the treatment and welfare of a vulnerable adult resident and two children within the centre which caused me significant concern."

The staff member who had been working for Synergy Security was dismissed from their duties shortly after.

The alleged incident involved two young children who had been seen on CCTV playing unsupervised in the centre, something that is not allowed.

The now-suspended worker claims centre staff came and took the children into the playroom. After this, he noticed a senior security manager from Synergy Security watching the children's mother on CCTV walking round the centre looking for her children, he alleges the manager refused to tell the mother where they were to "teach her a lesson".

The woman reportedly frantically searched around the centre for an hour, and thought the children were missing. 

Eventually, the woman came to the CCTV office crying and screaming. The employee alleges the security manager refused to reunite her or tell her where they were.

The employee recorded the incident on his phone and the audio has been supplied to JOE. Other centre staff reportedly in a canteen, are heard discussing the woman and with a female staff member saying the mother was "shitting a brick".

A male voice replies: "She's still out there looking for them."

In separate audio, a centre staff member can be heard telling the woman to "compose herself" and threatening her that they will contact Tusla because she was asleep during the day.

The mother can be heard crying and in distress and saying "you scared me". She struggles to articulate herself in English but says she is on medication which disrupts her sleep. She explains she searched all over and was scared for her children.

One staff member contradicts her and tells the woman that she had not been looking for her children at all.

Speaking to JOE, the security employee who had worked at the centre for almost ten years confirmed they raised these concerns internally and subsequently made the protected disclosure to HIQA.

Staff that day were reportedly told not to compile a report on the incident.

JOE understands HIQA have escalated the matter to Tusla and An Garda Síochána, however both have refused to comment on individual circumstances. The Department of Justice also refused to comment.

"I also have concerns regarding staff conduct, management handling of matters leading up to and following the incident, and the overall safeguarding environment within the centre," the disclosure read.

Synergy Security Solutions told JOE that the "allegations are currently subject to active internal review and external processes."

"Accordingly, it would be inappropriate and potentially prejudicial for the Company to comment publicly on the specific allegations.

"Synergy Security Solutions takes all safeguarding concerns, employee complaints and reports
of alleged wrongdoing seriously. Where concerns are raised, they are assessed in accordance
with the Company's established procedures, contractual obligations and applicable legal and
regulatory requirements.

Where appropriate, the Company cooperates fully with relevant
statutory and regulatory authorities.

The Company also has legal obligations to protect the confidentiality and privacy of employees,
residents, clients and other third parties."