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The Journal
4 days ago
- Business
- The Journal
Cabinet signs off on plans to buy the Citywest Hotel for international protection accommodation
THE GOVERNMENT SIGNED off on plans to buy Dublin's Citywest Hotel to use for international protection accommodation. Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan announced today that he secured Cabinet approval for the State purchase of the Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre at a cost of €148 million. The minister said today that the move is part of a long-term strategy to develop a sustainable accommodation system which should deliver savings for the State. The purchase of the property will also ensure the government meets its obligations under the new EU Pact on migration. The site which is already being used for both international protection and Ukraine accommodation, currently has capacity to accommodate approximately 2,300 people between the hotel and the Convention Centre. The hotel has 764 bedrooms and 12 meeting rooms and in the past has been used as a large multi-purpose convention centre. Advertisement The State is currently accommodating almost 33,000 people in over 320 International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres around the country including 9,500 children with their families. Since 2020, the Citywest site has been used by the State, first as part of the Covid-19 response and subsequently since 2022 as a transit hub and accommodation centre for Ukrainian citizens and people seeking international protection. The minister said there have been 'extremely high costs in recent times' regarding accommodation, stating that purchasing Citywest makes prudent financial sense for the State compared to costs of leasing the site. 'The purchase represents a payback period to the State of approximately four years, and over 25 years, the purchase and operating cost model offer savings of more than €1 billion, while delivering a permanent State asset,' he said. The minister said he is committed to reforming Ireland's international protection system to ensure its efficiency and robustness. 'My goal is to improve processing systems so that people can receive a decision quickly and fairly, curtailing the need for constant growth in our accommodation system,' he added. There are no immediate plans to increase capacity at the site as part of the purchase, with the minister clarifying today that his department is also in ongoing discussions to ensure the leisure centre on the site remains open to the public following the purchase. The leisure centre has approximately 3,000 members and is a valuable amenity for the local community. 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 Independent
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Limited access to EU security database may hamper ‘robust' screening of asylum-seekers, government report says
A government report on the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum has also warned of undue stressors on the asylum system, inadequate staff training, and the risk of backlogs and absconding leading to reputational damage. The new immigration control system across the 27 EU member states has been adopted by Ireland and is set to come into effect in June 2026. It will aim to tackle key inefficiencies within the current system, while also protecting external borders and supporting member states 'under migratory pressure through greater burden-sharing'. A report prepared for the Government has highlighted how Ireland does not have access to certain EU security databases available to Schengen member states, and is limited in its access to the full European search portal. There is concern, the report states, that, as a result, Ireland may not be able to adequately conduct screening or carry out 'robust identity validation' in line with the requirements of the EU Pact. The Department of Justice told the Irish Independent that it was a central priority for Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan that Ireland's immigration system be robust and effective. While Ireland would not have access to the entry/exit system, ETIAS and the Visa Information System, the Government had opted into the EuroDac system, which is a fingerprint database for asylum-seekers that will be upgraded by June of next year. It will store official documents and photographs of asylum- seekers as well as their first place of application to help decrease secondary movement. The department said that while Ireland could not opt in to the Schengen IT systems, the State intended to legislate nationally to align with its provisions. It said the State would carry out screening on anybody who entered Ireland irregularly – this will consist of identity checks, health checks, security and criminal screening and gathering fingerprint data for the EuroDac database. Last year, there were 18,560 applications for international protection, a 40pc increase on 2023, with more than 50pc of applicants coming from Jordan, Nigeria, Somalia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The report also says that Ireland has 'responded generously to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine' and granted more than 113,332 applications for temporary protection between 2022 and January of this year. Figures show that the Department of Justice and state-funded migration operations delivered 934 voluntary returns last year. The Government has also committed to providing 14,000 state-owned beds which it says will help support the delivery of the pact requirements. The acquisition of facilities for state-owned properties 'will deliver significant savings to the Exchequer' in the long run, according to the report.
