logo
Directors of IPAS centre management firm shared €4.68m last year

Directors of IPAS centre management firm shared €4.68m last year

RTÉ News​23-05-2025

Two directors at one of the biggest operators in the International Protection (IP) applicant accommodation sector last year shared a €4.68m jackpot in pay and pension contributions.
In the second half alone of last year, Igo Cafe Ltd trading as IGO Emergency Management Services received €29.9m (incl VAT) in State payments for accommodating IP applicants.
The Dún Laoghaire-based company is co-owned by directors Ann Murphy and Cristina Andries on a 50/50 basis and in 2024, the two shared €4.68m in remuneration and pension contributions.
The Government spent €1bn on accommodating IP applicants last year.
The new accounts for Igo Cafe Ltd show that the two directors shared €3.779m in pay and an additional €910,000 in pension contributions.
If evenly split, the €3.779m works at €1.889m each for 2024 which equates to average pay of €36,346 per week for each.
The €3.77m in pay is almost three times the €1.3m the pair shared in pay in 2023.
The accounts show that the company recorded post tax profits of €1.3m last year which was a 48.5% increase on the post tax profits of €882,126 in 2023.
Numbers employed increased from 31 to 77 last year while accumulated profits at the end of December stood at €2.28m as cash funds totalled €1.24m.
The cash funds of €1.24m compared to only €1,158 in cash in the company at the end of 2019.
A spokeswoman for the Dept of Justice said today that IGO Emergency Management Services "are a facilities management provider at four International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) accommodation centres".
She said: "The Department does not routinely provide details of IPAS Accommodation Centre locations or occupancy levels.
"While detailed contractual arrangements for IPAS centres are confidential and commercially sensitive, the Department publishes quarterly reports on all payments to service providers over €20,000, which include IPAS accommodation contracts for this and other providers."
She said that these reports are publicly available online.
She said: "IGO Emergency Management Services are not a facilities management provider for Ukraine Temporary Protection scheme."
Meanwhile, the Government spend on accommodating IP applicants came to €1bn last year, after €280m was spent in the final quarter.
The €1bn spend was a 54% increase on the €651.75m paid out in 2023.
Last year, the Government spent a total of €1.84bn on accommodation for IP applicants and Ukrainians.
The outlay equates to a daily average spend of €5m across 2024.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Budget blow for thousands of Irish as €1k boost & one-off cash payments CUT in ‘roll back clock' move amid tariff fear
Budget blow for thousands of Irish as €1k boost & one-off cash payments CUT in ‘roll back clock' move amid tariff fear

The Irish Sun

time4 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Budget blow for thousands of Irish as €1k boost & one-off cash payments CUT in ‘roll back clock' move amid tariff fear

COLLEGE students are set for a €1,000 blow later this year when college fees return to their original level, Higher Education Minister James Lawless has confirmed. As part of a 3 Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe confirmed there will be no cost of living package in the upcoming budget Credit: Getty 3 Higher Education Minister James Lawless confirmed college fees will revert to €3,000 Credit: PA While fees vary from college to However, The Government are planning to Higher Education Minister James Lawless today confirmed that college fees will revert to €3,000 without a cost of living package in the budget. Read more in Money However, the Speaking on 'Things like energy credits were universally applied, 'The indications are – and we haven't entered budget discussions in earnest yet as we're engaged in the national development plan at the moment which obviously will have a significant uplift in MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN 'So all of us in any walk of life have to play the hands we're dealt. Taoiseach Simon Harris speaks about Budget 2025 cost-of-living measures "If I don't have a cost of living package then I can't do those type of measures that we're talking about from last year.' Asked to clarify, the Minister said: 'The once-off supports – and they were phrased very clearly as once-off supports – are not being provided for as it stands because there is no cost of living package being made available. 'That may change coming into the budget. It's a matter for the Finance Minister more so than myself but that is what's coming. MAJOR SETBACK Senator Harmon said any such move would be a major setback for college affordability and a further burden on students and their families. She said: 'This Government is planning to roll back the clock when it comes to making college affordable. "Reversing the student fee reduction sends a clear signal that access to third-level education is not a priority for this administration. 'At a time when the cost of living remains sky-high and when rents in college areas are completely unaffordable this move would hit families where it hurts. It's completely out of touch. 'Last week, the Minister for Housing added insult to injury by rowing back on protections for student renters. Now, Minister Lawless wants to add financial pressure on top. "It's clear that this Government has no coherent strategy when it comes to supporting students." 'WHERE IS THAT AMBITION?' Labour is now calling for the Minister to urgently reconsider this regressive proposal. Senator Harmon added: "We have to ask – was last year's modest reduction in fees just a cynical vote-buying exercise ahead of the local and European elections? 'And what of the promises from Simon Harris, who made all the right noises about reducing fees to zero? Where is that ambition now? "Instead, students are being told to tighten their belts again while this Government boasts about budget surpluses." She continued: 'We need long-term thinking when it comes to education – not short-term accounting. College should not be a luxury. "If the Government goes ahead with this hike, it will be a deeply unpopular move from an increasingly unpopular Government." 3 As part of a cost of living package in last year's budget, college fees were temporarily cut by €1,000 Credit: Getty - Contributor

Student fees to revert to previous levels 'as things stand', says Lawless
Student fees to revert to previous levels 'as things stand', says Lawless

RTÉ News​

time10 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

Student fees to revert to previous levels 'as things stand', says Lawless

Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless has said that "as things stand" third level students will have to pay €1,000 extra in fees this year compared to last year. Mr Lawless said last year's €1,000 reduction in undergraduate fees was part of a cost of living package which included other supports such as energy. Fees will have to be reset, as will energy, Mr Lawless said, and this means fees will revert to the same level they have been at for the last several years. "All of us in any walk of life have to play the hands were dealt," he said. "If I don't have a cost-of-living package. I can't do those kind of measures that were done last year." "I do intend to wind down the student contribution fee over the lifetime of the Government," he added. He said there are a number of measures that begin this September to help students with grants and an increased threshold for qualification. "We have increased thresholds, and for the first time ever, a household income up to €115,000 would receive at least some form of support," he said. He added: "That's higher than it's ever been, and we also have a number of different ranges of support so you can get." Mr Lawless said he has spoken to Minister for Housing James Browne to see how student specific accommodation can be carved out from newly-implemented Rent Pressure Zone rules. "Although it is fairly straight forward to work out rules for student specific accommodation on campus, it is more difficult to quantify the situation for students living in private accommodation," Mr Lawless said. He said that they will have to work out a formula. "Is it that the accommodation is always only rented to students, and does that mean it matches minimum standards," he said.

Iconic car brand in 'emergency talks' over fears it will ‘end production' in UK – despite saying it has ‘no plans'
Iconic car brand in 'emergency talks' over fears it will ‘end production' in UK – despite saying it has ‘no plans'

The Irish Sun

time11 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Iconic car brand in 'emergency talks' over fears it will ‘end production' in UK – despite saying it has ‘no plans'

EMERGENCY talks are reportedly being held today over an iconic car brand's future in the UK. The Government is understood to be stepping in to help Lotus stave off having to close its factory in Hethel, Norfolk, which employs 1,300 people. 3 A Lotus sign is seen at the car plant headquarters Credit: Reuters 3 Lotus Emira production line at the Hethel Norfolk factory Credit: Alamy 3 A factory worker builds a car at the plant Credit: I-Images Department officials are reported to have contacted the sports car manufacturer's Chinese owners on Friday after it emerged closing the plant was allegedly on the cards. Business Secretary However, there is some confusion as the firm itself claimed yesterday it had "no plans to close the factory". A spokesperson added: 'We are actively exploring strategic options to enhance efficiency and ensure global competitiveness in the evolving market. 'The UK is the heart of the Lotus brand — home to our sports car manufacturing, global design centre, motorsport operations, and Lotus Engineering. It is also our largest commercial market in Europe. 'We have invested significantly in R&D and operations in the UK, over the past six years. "Lotus remains committed to the UK, and its customers, employees, dealers, suppliers, as well as its proud British heritage.' Whitehall sources told Most read in Motors Trump announced in February a raft of "reciprocal" tariffs aimed at countering what his administration sees as unfair trade practices inflicted on the US by foreign nations. On Friday, reports suggested it was inevitable Lotus' UK production operations would be shifted across the Atlantic - perhaps as soon as early 2026. Ford is forced to immediately shut down factories and halt car production as CEO admits 'day to day' struggle for brand Company chiefs said import taxes have 'led us not to be able to export many vehicles to the US market'. It comes after the US and UK announced a trade deal last month reducing import tariffs from 27.5% to 10%. Lotus's chief executive, Qingfeng Feng, told investors on Wednesday last week: 'In the future, we are trying to leverage our US strategy to catch up the losses due to the tariff hike. "At this moment, we are discussing localisation plans with our strategic partners in the US in order to avoid the influence of US tariffs. "With our strategic partners, we had an in-depth discussion around the US landscape, and we believe that localisation is a feasible plan." Manufacturer's history Lotus - founded by engineer Colin Chapman in 1948 - began production at Hethel in 1966. It has shifted hands multiple times over the years in various bids to stave off financial instability. Geely bought a majority stake in 2017, before investing £3 billion in UK production, but later switched much of its focus to a plant in Wuhan, China. The manufacturer announced 270 job cuts in the UK in April and said last week sales for the first three months of 2025 had fallen 42%, racking up a net loss of $183 million (£134 million). Read more on the Irish Sun The Sun has approached Lotus for comment. Do you know more? Email

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store