Latest news with #ColmBrophy
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
High cost of IP housing 'not sustainable'
The Minister of State for Migration has acknowledged the high costs of providing accommodation for International Protection applicants and Ukrainian refugees, which he said was "neither sustainable nor acceptable in the long term". The State spent more than €401m on accommodation for International Protection applicants and Ukrainian refugees in the first three months of the year. That is according to new figures released by the former Department of Integration detailing its spending for the first quarter of 2025. In a statement, Minister Colm Brophy said the State had engaged in a series of actions to reduce these costs. He said this includes: "The purchase of State-owned facilities which will reduce costs and save the State 100s of millions in a relatively short period of time. "The renegotiation downwards of existing contracts with IPAS and Ukrainian accommodation providers. "The introduction of legislation this autumn will drastically shorten the length of time people stay in the system. This will reduce the overall costs of accommodation in the years ahead." The €401m figure is down on last year's quarterly spends on such accommodation, which ranged from €424m to €490m. Paying for private sector accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers made up 97% of the department's purchase order spends of €20,000 or more detailed in the Department report. While hundreds of providers are in receipt of Government payments, 91 were paid more than €1m in the first quarter of the year, and together the top five brought in €52.5m. Commenting on the figures, Nick Henderson, the CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, said it had always been concerned about money going straight to private providers. He said the Government's purchase of Citywest could be a step in the right direction and was likely to be better value for money for the taxpayer. The Citywest campus has been central to the Government's International Protection and Ukrainian refugee accommodation provision over the last number of years. However, Mr Henderson said this did not necessarily mean it would be a better-run facility. He said the IRC also had concerns that the border procedure, under the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, could be based in the future at Citywest. The IRC would also like to see an expansion of the remit of HIQA, which only has inspection powers for longer-term accommodation, expanded to include emergency accommodation.
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Government to buy Citywest Hotel for €148.2 million
The Government has approved the purchase of the Citywest Hotel and convention centre for €148.2 million, the Justice Minister has said. Jim O'Callaghan said that it would be 'far cheaper' to own the facility in west Dublin instead of paying private providers for the services and accommodation. Advertisement He said it would be used as a screening centre where applications for asylum will be processed. He said it was in line with the commitment in the programme for government to own 14,000 accommodation units for asylum seekers. He said there are no 'immediate' plans to expand the number of places at Citywest, which is currently being used as a reception centre for asylum seekers and Ukrainian refugees. 'Over a period of four years, we believe we'd be in the position where we would have got our money back in terms of the investment. Advertisement 'Over a longer period of time, if you compare what we're spending in the private sector from the amount of money we'll be spending in terms of a state-owned entity, over a period of about 25 years, we'll be looking at a saving of €1.25 billion.' Locals from Saggart protested outside Leinster House last week over government plans to buy the Citywest facility. They raised concerns about losing the amenity of the hotel complex and about demand for services. Minister of State Colm Brophy said that local representatives would be engaged with so that the local community are informed. Advertisement He said the decision was being made on a 'value for money' basis and that if it is directly owned by the State, it can save around 50 per cent of the operating costs. 'Very importantly, the purchase of Citywest will not result in any immediate increase in numbers,' he said. 'The plan with Citywest is very simply, to develop the asset and make sure that we have the ability, particularly under the Migration Pact, to have a state-of-the-art processing facility whereby people's applications can be cleared within 13 weeks from when they arrive in the country.' He added: 'Citywest has actually been working very effectively in terms of having an Ipas centre there, having Ukrainians also present, and having a range of services and facilities which have been working effectively and successfully for many, many years. Advertisement 'We are not planning on changing those numbers.'
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Government buys Citywest Hotel for €148m as part of long term asylum strategy
The Government has approved the purchase of the Citywest Hotel and convention centre for €148.2 million, the Justice Minister said. Jim O'Callaghan said that it would be 'far cheaper' to own the facility in west Dublin instead of paying private providers for the services and accommodation. He said it would be used as a screening centre where applications for asylum will be processed. He said it was in line with the commitment in the programme for government to own 14,000 accommodation units for asylum seekers. He said there are no 'immediate' plans to expand the number of places at Citywest, which is currently being used as a reception centre for asylum seekers and Ukrainian refugees. 'Over a period of four years, we believe we'd be in the position where we would have got our money back in terms of the investment. Over a longer period of time, if you compare what we're spending in the private sector from the amount of money we'll be spending in terms of a state owned entity, over a period of about 25 years, we'll be looking at a saving of €1.25 billion.' Locals from Saggart protested outside Leinster House last week over government plans to buy the Citywest facility. They raised concerns about losing the amenity of the hotel complex and about demand for services. Minister of State Colm Brophy said that local representatives would be engaged with so that the local community are informed. He said the decision was being made on a 'value for money' basis and that if it is directly owned by the State, it can save around 50% of the operating costs. 'Very importantly, the purchase of Citywest will not result in any immediate increase in numbers,' he said. 'The plan with Citywest is very simply, to develop the asset and make sure that we have the ability, particularly under the Migration Pact, to have a state-of-the-art processing facility whereby people's applications can be cleared within 13 weeks from when they arrive in the country.' He added: 'Citywest has actually been working very effectively in terms of having an Ipas centre there, having Ukrainians also present, and having a range of services and facilities which have been working effectively and successfully for many, many years. We are not planning on changing those numbers.'
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
State to purchase Citywest hotel for €148m and use it as asylum seeker accommodation
The State is to purchase the Citywest Hotel in Dublin for more than €148 million with the intention of making it a permanent processing centre for International Protection applicants. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said he received approval at Tuesday's Cabinet meeting for the move, which forms part of a plan to provide 14,000 State-owned beds for asylum seekers by 2028 rather than relying on private providers. The 764-bed hotel and conference centre has been leased by the State since 2020. It was initially used as a Covid-19 testing and vaccination centre before, in 2022, being converted to an accommodation and processing facility for asylum seekers and Ukrainian refugees. The State has agreed to purchase the hotel and its conference centre for €148.2 million, a price Mr O'Callaghan said represents value for money for the State. READ MORE 'Over a period of four years, we believe we'll be in the position where we will have got our money back in terms of the investment,' he said. Over 25 years, the State will save about €1.25 billion, he added. 'It will be far cheaper in the long-term.' Minister of State for migration Colm Brophy TD insisted there were no plans to expand the capacity of the hotel to handle the growing number of asylum seekers entering the State. It currently has capacity for 2,300 people. The Government said it is in talks to ensure the attached leisure centre, which has 3,000 members, remains open to the local community. Many locals have reacted angrily to the Government's plans to purchase the hotel. Earlier this month, protesters gathered outside Leinster House to demonstrate against the plans which they said will mean the hotel never returns to community use. 'Very importantly, the purchase of Citywest will not result in any immediate increase in numbers,' said Mr Brophy in Tuesday. He said the plan is to 'develop the asset' into a state-of-the-art processing facility 'whereby people's applications can be cleared within 13 weeks from when they arrive in the country'. He promised 'full engagement' with the community to ensure they are aware of what is happening to the hotel. There has been 'excellent engagement' with the community to date, and this will continue, he added. 'Our community engagement team is ready to begin working closely with local community leaders, community groups and stakeholders.' Separately, it has emerged the company which runs the hotel received more than €18 million from the State in the first three months of the year to provide accommodation for asylum seekers and refugees from Ukraine. Cape Wrath Hotel Unlimited, a key provider in the State's international protection accommodation system, also received more than €70 million last year. Figures on payments made through Department of Integration payment orders for more than €20,000 in the first three months of the year show the company received in excess of €18.5 million from the State. Mosney Holidays, which provides accommodation for between 500-600 international protection applicants and refugees supported by the Irish Refugee Protection Programme at a former holiday resort in Co Meath, received about €10 million from the State in the first three months of the year. Traveloldge, the hotel group (Smorgs ROI Management Limited), received about €8 million. Holiday Inn Dublin Airport (Skyline View Limited) also received more €8 million in the first quarter.
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Government buys Citywest Hotel and convention centre for €148m
The hotel will be used for housing international protection applicants. Currently, around 2,300 international protection applicants, as well as Ukrainian refugees, live at Citywest. The Government is also intending to buy a number of other venues around the country to house migrants in up to 14,000 beds. Savings of around 50pc on operation costs will be made as a result of the purchase, according to Migration Minister Colm Brophy. It will take the State four years to recoup the costs. Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan said the Government wants to buy a number of other venues to house migrants around the country. 'In the programme for government, our intention is to own 14,000 accommodation units for applicants of international protection. That will require us to purchase further places around the country,' he said. 'That's going to result in a significant saving over a period. Up to four years, we'll have really reached savings in respect of it. So it's going to be far cheaper in the long term, in terms of owning it, as opposed to the costs we're paying at present per person in the accommodation. Migration Minister Colm Brophy said the numbers of migrants being housed at Citywest will not change. 'We are not changing the overall of what is happening in Citywest at the moment in terms of numbers,' he said. 'Citywest has been working very effectively in terms of having an IPAS centre there, having Ukrainians also present there and having also a range of services and facilities. 'We are not planning on changing those numbers,' he said. A portion of the hotel located in west Dublin - which is the biggest hotel in the country - is already being used by the Government to provide housing for international protection applicants. The current owners of Citywest received €51m from the State for the first nine months of last year for use of the facility. It was recently reported that the Stop Citywest Hotel Purchase residents' group is considering legal action to stop the Government's planned purchase. The Government agreed in March to implement a new system to house international protection applicants, which included the purchase of "medium and large turnkey properties."
