Proposed IPAS centre in rural Wexford village should be subject to environmental inspection – ‘there's no mains there, you're dealing with septic tanks'
As concerns continue to be raised about the possibility of an International Protection Accommodation Scheme (IPAS) centre being established in the Danby Lodge hotel in Killinick, local councillors have moved to clarify the reasons behind those specific concerns. With cathaoirleach of the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD), Councillor Jim Codd, suggesting that his colleagues' sudden interest in the environment masked darker, more grave, concerns, it was left to Cllrs Ger Carthy and Lisa McDonald to defend their respective positions.
'I asked the chief executive of Wexford County Council (WCC) to contact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and inform them that the Danby Lodge will be the subject of an intensification case (if it becomes an IPAS centre),' said Cllr Carthy. 'Previous planning regulations would have stated that in the 29 rooms there would be an average of two people as a hotel, now if it becomes an IPAS centre we're moving to four people.
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Irish Independent
10 hours ago
- Irish Independent
State pays over €1.9 million to cover costs at Wicklow IPAS centre
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth which handles international protection accommodation service (IPAS) centres, has released figures detailing the amount of money the state has paid out so far this year to run these facilities in County Wicklow. The data for Q1 2025 shows Vesta Hotels Limited received the biggest allocation in February with two payments of €680,680, and a third worth €607,750 to provide accommodation for international protection applicants. A Hiqa report carried out at the south Wicklow facility in 2024 recorded capacity of 111 people. At the time of inspection, it was accommodating 104 residents, and nine of these were children. Meanwhile Arturo Ventures Unlimited received a payment of over €320,000 in January to provide accommodation for Ukrainians in west Wicklow. However, with a reduction in demand for accommodation for Ukrainians, elected members of the Baltinglass Municipal District have been told the operator of the Avon Hotel in Blessington has instead been offered to provide accommodation for international protection applicants. At their meeting in May councillors were informed this would be offered under a lease agreement of up to two years which is currently being examined by the Department. The 95 Ukrainian residents currently being accommodated at The Avon are all due to be relocated by August 8. The proposal to turn the hotel into an IPAS centre has sparked opposition from residents in recent weeks, with protests taking place in the town. They claim department officials have failed to consult them about their plans and fear the move could have a negative impact on local services. ADVERTISEMENT The figures also show Powertique Limited received two separate payments from the state in January totalling more than €1 million to house Ukrainians at the Royal Hotel in Bray. Meanwhile Woodstone Property Ak Limited which oversees operations at the Wilton Hotel in Bray received over €203,000 in January to accommodate Ukrainians seeking international protection. A breakdown of the figures also shows E and B Hotel Limited which owns Rathmore Country House in Ashford was allocated over €65,000 in January for the associated costs in providing accommodation. As of May 2025, there are currently 1,395 international protection applicants residing in County Wicklow. This figure far exceeds that of its neighbouring counties, including Wexford (605), Carlow (436) and Kildare (564) but naturally the numbers in Dublin are much higher. There are currently 3,403 applicants for international protection based in centres in Dublin city, with 1,190 in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown.
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Irish Independent
Wexford defends its Norman heritage following comments from Sinn Féin TD – ‘We're well capable of commemorating our ancestry with sensitivity'
Many of those events will take place across Co Wexford as places like New Ross, Carrig-on-Bannow, and Wexford town mark the legacy of the Normans since their arrival to Ireland over 900 years ago. However, Dublin South Central TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh, has criticised the decision to take part in the celebrations, asking if this will be a precursor to 'a Festival of Cromwell or a Famine Queen Jubilee?' 'William was a foreign king who never set foot in Ireland, and had nothing to do with Ireland, and yet his birth will be given a higher honour than bestowed by an Irish Government on any figure from Gaelic Irish history,' said the Sinn Féin TD. 'This is not a commemoration for Ireland. Marking the birth of a future English king is not for us, even if it was 1,000 years ago. 'Of course we should acknowledge, protect, take pride in the rich architectural, cultural, and literary heritage that stands testament to Anglo-Norman Ireland, which lives on today in surnames and songs, and celebrate those brave Irish heroes of Norman descent who rebelled against the imperial yoke of England, as early as the 1360s through to the Desmond Rebellion through to United Irishman Lord Edward Fitzgerald, in whose Leinster House our Dáil now meets, and beyond. 'We should make the most of Ireland's Norman heritage to boost tourism, to create jobs, to support communities, and reinforce links with families tracing their Norman Irish roots and with other places who share a Norman heritage, but celebrating England's William the Conqueror, however, is a step too far.' At the June meeting of Wexford County Council (WCC), following confirmation that the council was in contact with Normandy regarding events for 2027, Deputy Ó Snodaigh's remarks were discussed in the chamber by Councillors Lisa McDonald and John Fleming. 'His comments were unpalatable and unfortunate,' said Cllr McDonald, 'we've proven that we're well capable of commemorating our ancestry with sensitivity.' 'I've never heard such negative, dour comments, I can't understand it,' added Cllr Fleming. 'We're proud of New Ross and its Norman connections, Hook Head, Tintern Abbey, and we have the Norman Visitor Centre coming next year. Now we have some silly comments trying to put a stop to that. ' Director of services Eamonn Hore took time to clarify his feelings on the matter, admitting that it had taken him a while to 'calm down' when he'd first read the deputy's statement. 'If he wants to come down to Wexford we'll show him all that's good about the area and its heritage,' he said. 'And with regards to to Cromwell, Wexford people don't need any history lesson on that. I had a particular problem with him saying this wasn't well-prepared; since 2016 we've had the Norman Way in place and when we invited the president of Normandy to New Ross he was amazed at the influence of the Normans there. "This is a way for the two regions to celebrate their history and culture – I must say I was very disappointed in what he said.' Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
Irish Times
4 days 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.
