Viral ‘dinner in a bag’ video from Direct Provision Centre was faked

Front this week’s Galway City Tribune – A widely circulated video that purported to show food being served in a plastic bag at the Eglinton Direct Provision Centre was a setup staged by a disgruntled resident, the Galway City Tribune can reveal.

CCTV footage seen by this newspaper shows that the resident who captured the footage opted to have the food served in the carrier bag – refusing both a plastic container and plate.

The footage shows that the resident was served four meals in all – three of which were presented in containers similar to those used in takeaway restaurants.

When the member of staff reached for the fourth container, the resident picked up a plastic bag and can be seen indicating that they wished to have the food placed inside.

A stack of empty containers was available at the time, and other residents who were being served at the same time received their food in them – using the plastic bags to carry them away from the serving counter.

The video posted by the resident first appeared online when posted on social media by an organisation entitled ‘Abolish Direct Provision Campaign’ on November 2.

It was then shared by in excess of 1,000 people including local politicians and by an online news outlet which failed to check its veracity.

The Galway City Tribune understands that the resident involved had been reprimanded for an entirely separate issue and is alleged to have ‘set up’ the circumstances of this video in retaliation.

Since the video was posted, the centre had been audited by IPAS – the State’s International Protection Accommodation Services – as well as the Environmental Health Officer (EHO) and independent auditor QTS.

This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.