Inside Ireland's IPAS System.
Afters months of FOI requests, I have finally received an EXPLOSIVE set of reports.. some deemed too dangerous to release.
You might want to sit down for this...🧵
Before We Start - Explanation
I requested incident reports from 3 IPAS centres in Dublin & Wicklow for a ~4month period, Nov to Feb
Each centre is managed by Igo Café, the controversial company run by David Mooney, which was paid €12.4million in Q4 alone.
The Dept. confirmed that 22 relevant reports existed but withheld 7 due to safety & ongoing investigations. We know some of these are in relation to knife attacks and fires.
Ok, here we go....
Threats to Kill & Physical Violence
📅 Jan 29, 2025 | 📄 Record #14
“I will kill you”, then punched him 10 times
A dispute over TikTok spiralled. One man was punched repeatedly in the face while screaming threats to kill. Security and multiple staff had to intervene.
Death Threats Made Against Staff
📅 Mar 1, 2025 | 📄 Record #18
“I’ll get my friends and assault staff as they leave”
Resident threatened to kill security, tried to grab a guard’s radio, then vowed to gather a group to attack staff outside the centre.
Psychotic Episode & Aggressive Behaviour
📅 Mar 3, 2025 (5:23 AM) | 📄 Record #21
“He tried to throw the microwave.”
“Residents fear for their lives.”
During a psychotic episode, a resident smashed plates, hurled bottles, and attempted to throw a microwave across the dining hall. Security restrained him. Others said they now fear for their lives.
Spat in Security’s Face
📅 Dec 9, 2024 | 📄 Record #5
Caught smoking indoors, a man turned aggressive and spat in security staff's face and walked off. Not his first offence.
Psychotic Episode & Death Threats
📅 Mar 1, 2025 (10:10 PM) | 📄 Record #19
“He stated that he would kill someone.”
In the midst of a psychotic episode, a resident stormed into the security office, issued death threats, and demanded Gardaí be called.
Guards were placed on overnight watch to protect staff and residents.
Attacked Over Loud Phone Use
📅 Feb 8, 2025 | 📄 Record #15
“Lunged with a swinging fist…”
Argument over late-night phone noise turned violent. One resident punched another in the face mid-recording. Security had to intervene.
Chokehold takedown
📅 Feb 9, 2025 | 📄 Record #16
“Pinned to the ground in a headlock.”
A casual fist bump turned violent, one resident slammed the other to the floor and held him in a headlock. Security rushed in to separate them.
Violent Behaviour & Intoxication
📅 Nov 3, 2024 | 📄 Record #1
“Assaulted a resident.”
“Racially and verbally abused security.”
“Verbally attacked canteen staff.”
One resident went on a violent rampage: assaulting another resident, hurling racial abuse at security, and threatening staff in the canteen. Gardaí were called. He fled the site the next day.
“I started the fires.”
📅 Jan 22, 2025 | 📄 Record #11
“I’ll burn the whole building down.”
An anonymous resident reported that someone confessed to starting fires in the centre, and said he planned to burn the entire building down to get relocated.
Narcotics & Threatening Behaviour
📅 Dec 18, 2024 | 📄 Record #8
“Fill the plate or else” (fork used as weapon)
"We cannot allow our team to work in an unsafe environment"
Over a second serving of food, a man raised a fork, jabbed it over the counter, and threatened to stab kitchen staff. Chef left distraught.
“Got aggressive with staff... verbally abusive.”
📅 Nov 22, 2024 (4:45 AM) | 📄 Record #3
A resident became hostile and threatening at 4:45 AM when a printer failed to produce his proof of address. He stormed the canteen...
Gardaí and Ambulance Called
📅 Jan 21, 2025 | 📄 Record #10
“They pushed and shoved each other.”
A bathroom dispute over washing feet in the sink escalated into a physical scuffle.
“He accused staff of killing a former resident.”
"He claimed a security guard threatened to kill him"
📅 Jan 23, 2025 | 📄 Record #12
A resident had two outbursts in one day. First snatching a parcel from reception, then shouting threats and throwing plates at the kitchen staff. Gardaí were called after he claimed a security guard threatened to kill him.
Record #22 is a summary log showing:
Dates 📅
Incident types ⚠️
Whether Gardaí were called🚔
It reveals the frequency of violence, systemic strain, and incidents involving weapons, arson, and threats across IPAS sites.
**Notice the Multiple fire reports and a knife attack. These are likely among those reports which were withheld on public safety grounds.
Opinion
There is so much in this to opine on. For now I am just happy that the raw information is in the public domain.
But if these reports don't reach national newspapers then God help us all.
This has been the culmination of months of work and investigation. Thank you to the people who work in the FOI departments for releasing this. The system works👏🏻
If you would like to support my efforts, please do 🙏 👇🏻
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