No plans for former Tipperary convent to house asylum seekers

In a post on social media, Labour Party councillor Michael 'Chicken' Brennan said that there are no plans to house International Protection Applicants (IPAs) in Ballingarry's Old Convent.
Cllr Brennan said that following conversations with the owners of the Old Convent, Ballingarry, outside Thurles, he can confirm that the property is not being examined for use as an IPAS centre.
The Labour Party councillor also said that there has been no offer of accommodation made, and that the Department of Justice are not examining the property for use.
"After talking to the owners yesterday evening of the Old Convent, Ballingarry, Thurles that no offer of accommodation has been received and the Department within IPAS are not examining the property for use,' Cllr Brennan wrote on social media.
"I would request people to be calm and not spread misinformation with regard to this premises,' Cllr Brennan added.
Two years ago, Tipperary County Council granted planning permission for use as tourist accommodation.
The plans at the time gave the green light for seven dwellings made up of a mix of two, three, four and five bedroom houses, with a digital hub proposed for an existing school room while the disused chapel would be converted to a community building.
Those plans would also see the old Presentation National school converted to a café and showroom.

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The Journal

20 hours ago

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Minister criticised after recent deportation flight took off without human rights monitor on board

A GOVERNMENT CHARTER flight that flew to Nigeria earlier this month has been criticised after it emerged that no independent human rights observer was on board the flight. Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon accused the government of 'skipping independent scrutiny' in favour of 'theatre' by allowing the flight to make its journey without a monitor on board. These independent human rights observers were on board the government's two previous charter flights, which saw a combined 71 people deported to Georgia. This was followed by a special charter flight this month where some 35 people, including five children, were deported from Ireland to Nigeria. The flight was heavily criticised afterwards by a Dublin school and by a Clondalkin community group as each had members of their community on board. In response to a Parliamentary Question from Gannon about the makeup of the professional personnel involved in the flight, Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan disclosed that 'due to technical reasons outside the control' of the Department of Justice, the human rights observer was not able to accompany the flight to Lagos. O'Callaghan defended himself from criticism of the flights, telling Gannon that planning and consideration had been given to 'ensure the safety and wellbeing' of the people being removed from Ireland to Nigeria. Role of human rights observers The role of the independent human rights observer is to monitor the use of force and restraints for deportees on the flight. Such observers are currently not mandatory for charter deportation flights in Ireland. However, there are requirements to have such monitors so as to ensure fundamental rights are upheld during forced returns of people. These requirements feature in the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT) but Ireland remains the only EU member state yet to ratify the protocol , despite having signed it in 2007. It is included in the current Programme for Government . They had been present at Dublin Airport before the flight took off and later received a debrief from gardaí who were on board the plane, according to O'Callaghan. In addition to Garda personnel, the returnees on the flights were accompanied by a doctor and an advanced paramedic. The flights are carried out by the Garda National Immigration Bureau. Advertisement In his response to Gannon, seen by The Journal , O'Callaghan said the independent observer was briefed by gardaí afterwards. 'For the charter flight to Nigeria the observer was present in Dublin Airport to monitor the operation prior to departure of the charter flight on 4 June 2025 and meet with returnees including the families concerned,' O'Callaghan said. 'However, due to technical reasons outside the control of my Department, the observer was not able to accompany the flight to Lagos. The observer has been debriefed by a nominated Garda escort on the operation of the flight.' Gannon had asked about the number of professionals present on board, including medical staff, child protection professionals and psychological support personnel. The Dublin Central TD told The Journal that the minister needed to clarify whether he believes a human rights observer is 'essential' for the flights. If so, then O'Callaghan needed to outline 'why did he let the Nigeria flight go ahead' without an observer. He repeated a criticism of the minister's use of the flights as a form of PR and a submission to anti-migrant demonstrations seen over recent years. 'Having the Gardaí who carried out the deportation 'debrief' the observer afterwards isn't oversight, it's theatre,' Gannon said. 'This flight involved children. The State has a legal and moral duty to safeguard their rights at every stage, not just when it's convenient. Skipping independent scrutiny when children are being forcibly removed strips away any pretence of a rights-based approach. What we're seeing is a government more committed to appearing tough than doing things properly. Gannon added that the deportation flights will 'go down as a shameful episode' in the life of the current government. 'It may play well in certain corners of the political world, but anyone with a shred of decency can see how wrong this was,' Gannon claimed. The Fianna Fáil minister said he accepted that deportations were 'challenging' for the people involved. He added that they had received legal orders to leave the State and that the flights were required to ensuring that Ireland's immigration system is 'robust and rules based'. He noted that any person who has been ordered to leave the State is committing a criminal offence and 'can be arrested without warrant if they come into contact with An Garda Síochána'. The 2,113 deportation orders signed this year are nearing last year's total of 2,403 orders. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal

Irish Times

a day ago

• Irish Times

State spent nearly €416m on asylum seeker and Ukrainian accommodation in early 2025

The State spent nearly €416 million on accommodation for asylum seekers and Ukrainian refugees during the first three months of 2025, according to the latest Government figures. Cape Wrath Hotel Unlimited, the company that runs Dublin's Citywest Hotel housing international protection applicants (IPAs) and Ukrainian refugees, received €18.7 million between January and March this year. Earlier this week, the Government announced plans to purchase Citywest Hotel for more than €148 million, with the intention of making it a permanent processing centre for IPAs. The move forms part of an objective to provide 14,000 State-owned beds for asylum seekers by 2028 rather than relying on private providers. The State has leased the 764-bed hotel and conference centre since 2020. It was initially used as a Covid-19 testing and vaccination centre before being converted to an accommodation and processing facility for asylum seekers and Ukrainian refugees in 2022. READ MORE It is understood the Citywest transit hub has been used most recently to accommodate arrested adult deportees before they are moved to prisons in advance of their departure from the State. Cape Wrath Hotel Unlimited received a €70.8 million in 2024 for housing IPAs and Ukrainian refugees at Citywest. The Government spent a total of €415.8 million on IPA and Ukrainian refugee accommodation during the first three months of this year. Some €269.5 million was spent on IPA accommodation, while €134.7 million went on Ukrainian refugee accommodation. As quarterly purchase order figures published by the Government do not include payments below €20,000 or reimbursements to local authorities providing accommodation, the total spend may be higher. [ 'This isn't about race or colour. This is about our community': Locals protest at sale of Citywest Hotel Opens in new window ] The Holiday Inn at Dublin Airport, which is run by the Tifco Hotel Group in Ireland, was paid €8.5 million for IPA accommodation and associated costs during the first three months of this year. Travelodge, also run by Tifco, was paid €8 million during the period, while Pumpkin Spice Limited, which runs Travelodge hotels, received €1.8 million. An additional €3.6 million was paid directly to Tifco Ltd, according to purchase order records. Mosney Holidays plc, which provides accommodation for between 500-600 IPAs and refugees at a former holiday resort in Co Meath, received €9.7 million between January and March. East Coast Catering Ireland, which has an address in Dundalk and lists Denis Williams and Matthew O'Callaghan as its directors, was paid €7.5 million. Brava Capital Ltd, the owners of purpose-built accommodation in Sligo, with a company registered in the Isle of Man, received €7.2 million. Total Experience Ltd, which provides accommodation services only for Ukrainians, was paid €6.76 million, while Roscommon-based Bridgestock Care Ltd, which runs asylum seeker accommodation centres in Sligo, Mayo, Donegal and Clare, also received €6.76 million. Kintrona Ltd, which has an address in Cork city and lists John Crean, David Kelly and Tony O'Neill as directors, was paid €6.2 million, while Allpro security services Ireland received €6 million. A 2024 Irish Times investigation found the former directors of Allpro Security Services, Conor Nolan and Alan Connolly, had been convicted of tax offences. Both men resigned as directors of the company in June 2022 but remain shareholders, each holding 50 per cent of the business. Brimwood Ltd, which is owned by former Monaghan GAA football manager Séamus 'Banty' McEnaney and his daughters Sarah and Laura, received €5.6 million during the first three months of the year. There are 32,704 IPAs, including 9,481 children, living in 328 State-provided accommodation centres across the country. Another 2,987 asylum-seeking men are awaiting an offer of State accommodation, according to the latest available data. An average of 28 asylum seekers arrived into Ireland each day in May 2025, nearly half the average of 54 people who arrived each day in May 2024. More than 114,700 Ukrainians have sought temporary protection in Ireland since the war with Russia began. However, the latest Central Statistics Office data indicates nearly 30 per cent of these have left the country.

Irish Independent

3 days ago

• Irish Independent

No plans for former Tipperary convent to house asylum seekers

In a post on social media, Labour Party councillor Michael 'Chicken' Brennan said that there are no plans to house International Protection Applicants (IPAs) in Ballingarry's Old Convent. Cllr Brennan said that following conversations with the owners of the Old Convent, Ballingarry, outside Thurles, he can confirm that the property is not being examined for use as an IPAS centre. The Labour Party councillor also said that there has been no offer of accommodation made, and that the Department of Justice are not examining the property for use. "After talking to the owners yesterday evening of the Old Convent, Ballingarry, Thurles that no offer of accommodation has been received and the Department within IPAS are not examining the property for use,' Cllr Brennan wrote on social media. "I would request people to be calm and not spread misinformation with regard to this premises,' Cllr Brennan added. Two years ago, Tipperary County Council granted planning permission for use as tourist accommodation. The plans at the time gave the green light for seven dwellings made up of a mix of two, three, four and five bedroom houses, with a digital hub proposed for an existing school room while the disused chapel would be converted to a community building. Those plans would also see the old Presentation National school converted to a café and showroom.