Proposed IPAS centre in 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.
Related topics
Simon Bourke

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

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 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.

Irish Independent

5 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.