Latest news with #PeterMcVerryTrust
Irish Examiner
20 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Department head 'unhappy' about housing charity leaving hotel it bought empty for three years
The head of the Department of Housing has acknowledged he is 'unhappy' with a situation which saw the Peter McVerry Trust purchase a Dublin hotel for €6.2m which has lain vacant for the past three years. Secretary general of the department, Graham Doyle, told the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday that the funding for the hotel had been part obtained via his department. He said it is 'working through' the options in terms of actioning the vacant building for social housing. The Georgian building in question, formerly Latchford's Hotel on Dublin's Baggot Street, was first purchased by the charity in 2022 after being placed for sale on the open market. The 20-bedroom hotel has remained vacant ever since in the aftermath of financial governance scandals which have shaken the Trust, one of the country's largest providers of homeless accommodation. Mr Doyle said the hotel had been funded by his department before the difficulties at the housing charity had emerged. He noted that the property had initially been purchased with a view to providing emergency accommodation. 'The understanding was planning was in place (for the hotel). Some planning issues arose in relation to it. I understand that the council and others are now working to look at how that property can be used for social housing at this point in time,' he said. Fianna Fáil's Paul McAuliffe said the vacancy of such a property, given the struggles of the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive to provide accommodation and that the department had funded the purchase, is 'questionable'. In response, Mr Doyle said he is 'unhappy with that'. He said, however, that the various recommendations made by the Comptroller and Auditor General on foot of the scandal – which suggested that oversight of grant funding to housing bodies be strengthened and that approval from the Department of Public Expenditure be obtained in each instance – have now been fully implemented. The Trust had caused opprobrium among the committee members in advance by declining to attend to give evidence. Mr Doyle, while declining to comment on that decision, did say that the 2023 accounts for the charity should have been published by now. The charity had said it may be in a position to give evidence at PAC once that publication has occurred. Read More
Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Watchdog may compel Peter McVerry Trust to come before it amid growing anger over finances
The Dáil's most powerful public spending watchdog will consider compelling the Peter McVerry Trust (PMVT) to appear before it to answer questions about its €15 million State bailout . Sinn Féin TD John Brady, who is chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), expressed 'dissatisfaction and anger' towards the housing charity which has now twice refused to appear before the committee. Mr Brady said the PAC would now consider 'what options are open to us at this point', which could include compelling the trust to appear. At a meeting in public session on Thursday morning, a number of cross-party TDs expressed anger at the PMT for refusing to answer questions about its financial troubles. It came after serious governance failings by the trust came to light in investigations by two State regulators. READ MORE The trust has so far failed to file its company accounts for 2023. In early 2024, it told the PAC it could not appear before it due to ongoing investigations. In a letter to the PAC this week, the trust again refused to make itself available for public questioning, claiming it was not in a position to attend 'at this time'. 'There's a real level of dissatisfaction and anger here by members, and I include myself in that,' Mr Brady said. He added that he was also aware of attempts over the last year by the Oireachtas housing committee to invite PMVT to appear before it. Mr Brady said the trust had received 'huge' sums of public funding and 'there needs to be accountability'. 'I propose that we write immediately to PMVT imploring them to come in at the earliest opportunity,' Mr Brady said. He said PAC will be seeking guidance from the Oireachtas standing orders committee to see what options it had to expand its remit and bring PMVT before it. 'It is deeply unsatisfactory and disheartening, as members said, when an organisation such as PMVT does not actually take cognisance of the last word in that – trust,' he said. 'Public trust is foremost here and people cannot have trust in how public money is being spent and the governance around that. I think that is deeply concerning.' PMVT said in a statement: 'At this time, PMVT is not in a position to take part in the committee's meeting. We are currently awaiting the completion of our audited financial statements for the year ended December 31st, 2023. 'Once these audited accounts are available, they will be published and we will share relevant information with our stakeholders and the public as appropriate, including making representatives available for the appropriate Oireachtas committee in due course.'
Irish Times
30-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Dublin City Council pays €2m a year for vacant hostel
An investment fund promoted by barrister and debt adviser Ross Maguire is receiving rent of €2 million per year from Dublin City Council for a vacant hostel. Avalon House at Aungier Street, Dublin city, has been dormant since a legal wrangle six years ago when local objectors went to the High Court to block plans by the Peter McVerry Trust (PMVT) charity to provide homeless accommodation in the property. The dispute led Dublin City Council to take over the McVerry Trust lease in May 2021. The council pays €300,000 in annual insurance, security and utility costs in addition to the €2 million annual rent. Apart from a ground floor café, the property is vacant. Under the PMVT and council tenancies, the total rent bill was €10 million between 2020 and 2024. In the same period, the additional costs were about €1.5 million. READ MORE 'Avalon House is not usable without significant capital works, as PMVT had commenced strip-out prior to the lease transfer,' said the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE), a division of the city council. A new planning process was set in motion in February 2023, but an application to develop a homeless family hub in the property has still not been submitted. Since 2022, the landlord is Irish Social Housing Fund 1, an investment vehicle promoted by Mr Maguire in partnership with international investors. 'It is not my fund and I have no ownership in the fund,' Mr Maguire said in reply to questions. A senior counsel, he came to prominence after the financial crash as a debt adviser to people in mortgage arrears and later moved into investment. The fund is listed among the partners of his advisory company New Beginning on its website. Avalon House, once a medical school, is a protected structure, meaning owners are required to prevent it from becoming endangered. The building was a hostel for backbackers before the PMVT set out plans to provide emergency accommodation for up to 155 rough sleepers. The trust had taken out a 20-year lease on the property in November 2019 with a company called Trittkopf, whose ultimate parent is BJM, a firm based in Cyprus. The city council took over the lease 'for the residue of the term' as part of the settlement of the court case. When Irish Social Housing Fund 1 acquired Avalon House in 2022, Mr Maguire was described as its 'authorised signatory' in a planning submission to the council. Mr Maguire suggested questions should be directed to the fund itself but a phone call to the fund was answered in his New Beginning office. The fund is authorised and supervised by the Central Bank. However, the bank said it 'does not have any regulatory role to make publicly available the prospectus or financial statements of the fund'. Responsibility for releasing financial information was with the alternative investment fund manager, the bank said. The fund manager, IQ-EQ, did not return phone calls or reply to questions emailed to a named company official in Dublin. The DRHE said it considered 'all options' for Avalon House, including exiting the lease or an alterative use for it. 'A family hub was considered to be the only viable use,' it said. 'The DRHE commenced the capital works application process, conditional approval was granted by the DHLGH in February 2023 and full Stage 1 approval given in June 2023, following compliance with the funding conditions,' it added. 'In late 2023, the DRHE tendered to procure an integrated design team. An integrated design team for the transformation of Avalon House into a family hub was appointed on April 5th, 2024, and we are currently preparing a planning application for a family hub.'
Irish Times
30-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Investment fund receiving €2m a year in rent from council for vacant hostel
An investment fund promoted by barrister and debt adviser Ross Maguire is receiving rent of €2 million per year from Dublin City Council for a vacant hostel. Avalon House at Aungier Street, Dublin city, has been dormant since a legal wrangle six years ago when local objectors went to the High Court to block plans by the Peter McVerry Trust (PMVT) charity to provide homeless accommodation in the property. The dispute led Dublin City Council to take over the McVerry Trust lease in May 2021. The council pays €300,000 in annual insurance, security and utility costs in addition to the €2 million annual rent. Apart from a ground floor café, the property is vacant. Under the PMVT and council tenancies, the total rent bill was €10 million between 2020 and 2024. In the same period, the additional costs were about €1.5 million. READ MORE 'Avalon House is not usable without significant capital works, as PMVT had commenced strip-out prior to the lease transfer,' said the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE), a division of the city council. A new planning process was set in motion in February 2023, but an application to develop a homeless family hub in the property has still not been submitted. Since 2022, the landlord is Irish Social Housing Fund 1, an investment vehicle promoted by Mr Maguire in partnership with international investors. 'It is not my fund and I have no ownership in the fund,' Mr Maguire said in reply to questions. A senior counsel, he came to prominence after the financial crash as a debt adviser to people in mortgage arrears and later moved into investment. The fund is listed among the partners of his advisory company New Beginning on its website. Avalon House, once a medical school, is a protected structure, meaning owners are required to prevent it from becoming endangered. The building was a hostel for backbackers before the PMVT set out plans to provide emergency accommodation for up to 155 rough sleepers. The trust had taken out a 20-year lease on the property in November 2019 with a company called Trittkopf, whose ultimate parent is BJM, a firm based in Cyprus. The city council took over the lease 'for the residue of the term' as part of the settlement of the court case. When Irish Social Housing Fund 1 acquired Avalon House in 2022, Mr Maguire was described as its 'authorised signatory' in a planning submission to the council. Mr Maguire suggested questions should be directed to the fund itself but a phone call to the fund was answered in his New Beginning office. The fund is authorised and supervised by the Central Bank. However, the bank said it 'does not have any regulatory role to make publicly available the prospectus or financial statements of the fund'. Responsibility for releasing financial information was with the alternative investment fund manager, the bank said. The fund manager, IQ-EQ, did not return phone calls or reply to questions emailed to a named company official in Dublin. The DRHE said it considered 'all options' for Avalon House, including exiting the lease or an alterative use for it. 'A family hub was considered to be the only viable use,' it said. 'The DRHE commenced the capital works application process, conditional approval was granted by the DHLGH in February 2023 and full Stage 1 approval given in June 2023, following compliance with the funding conditions,' it added. 'In late 2023, the DRHE tendered to procure an integrated design team. An integrated design team for the transformation of Avalon House into a family hub was appointed on April 5th, 2024, and we are currently preparing a planning application for a family hub.'
Irish Times
29-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Hundreds of homes for homeless in Dublin at risk as tender to manage them attracts no bids
Hundreds of homes, planned for Dublin's most vulnerable homeless population, are in jeopardy as a tender to manage them has attracted no bids, according to the Housing Agency and the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive . Dozens of people, who have been sleeping on streets or who have spent long periods in emergency accommodation and should have been offered housing, have not received offers. The Housing First programme, where entrenched rough-sleepers are provided with own-door housing along with wraparound supports to help sustain their tenancy, has been managed in Dublin by the Peter McVerry Trust , the homeless housing charity, since 2019. With the expiration of the trust's contract last year, the Housing Agency led a procurement process for the management of 540 tenancies and to meet targets to create hundreds more. READ MORE The agency sought bids for three 'lots' of tenancies. Though tenders were received from housing bodies for two smaller 'lots' of about 125 current tenancies each, the largest lot of 250 existing tenancies attracted no bids. There are currently 540 Housing First tenancies in Dublin, with a further 581 across eight regions outside the capital. The programme's current difficulties are limited to properties in Dublin. The programme for government set a target of expanding the scheme – regarded as hugely successful in tackling long-term homelessness among single adults – to 2,000 nationally, including hundreds more in Dublin. [ Child-focused homelessness strategy needed, says Ombudsman Opens in new window ] A target of 143 additional tenancies were to be created this year, with another 143 next year in Dublin. Sources say fewer than 10 have been created so far this year. 'The scheme has effectively been paused,' said a senior housing sector source. 'It means really vulnerable people who would be put forward for housing with all the wraparound supports, or individuals who have been a long time in emergency accommodation and need those extra supports going into housing, are just being left.' In addition, supports for existing tenancies are said to 'stretched', with staff from other charities, including Depaul and Focus Ireland assisting Peter McVerry Trust's Housing First staff. 'The Government has made a complete mess of this tender process,' said Sinn Féin's housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin. 'As a result, existing Housing First tenants are not getting the support they need and vital new housing first tenancies are not being created.' [ 'A grim situation': Number of homeless people rises further Opens in new window ] The Dublin Region Homeless Executive, which provides statutory supports to the scheme, said the delay incompleting the tender has 'hindered the growth of the service in 2025″. 'However, all stakeholders are working collaboratively to consolidate the Housing First programme and support the current Housing First tenants.' A Housing Agency spokeswoman said its Housing First national office was working to ensure current tenancies are protected and future tenancies will be created under the tender process. She said 'challenges' facing Housing First included sourcing enough one-bedroom units and recruiting and retaining tenancy support staff.
