Confusion over status of Wicklow hotel paid €5.5m to house Ukrainians
The operators of hotel in west Wicklow have so far received over €5.5 million from the state for accommodating Ukrainians since 2022, and are thought to additionally be housing international protection applicants.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has provided The Avon Hotel in Blessington with a total of €5,529,949 for offering accommodation to Ukrainians and the associated costs from Q3 of 2022, when they first started accommodating them, though to Q4 of 2024.
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Irish Independent
6 days 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.
RTÉ News
18-06-2025
- RTÉ News
Govt agrees €148m purchase of Citywest Hotel and campus
Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan has said Cabinet has approved plans to proceed with the purchase of the Citywest Hotel and campus in Dublin for €148.2m. The State has been leasing the property since 2020 when it was used as a Covid vaccination site. Since 2022, it was used to house those in need of temporary protection and more recently for international protection applicants. Speaking at Government Buildings, Minister O'Callaghan said: "It really does represent value for money in terms of the amount of money we're spending on the private commercial sector as opposed to the savings that can be achieved if we own our own accommodation." Minister O'Callaghan said €148.2 million purchase price would result in significant savings over time. "It's going to be far cheaper in the long-term in terms of owning it as opposed to the cost we're paying at present per person in the accommodation." In a statement, the Department of Justice said the purchase of the facility was part of a "long-term strategy to developing a sustainable accommodation system", and that the "site will deliver significant long-term savings to the State as its moves from licencing to ownership". The Department also said securing the site in State ownership would "enable Ireland to meet requirements under the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum". Protest by residents Asked about protests outside Leinister House last week by residents opposing the purchase, Minister of State Colm Brophy said "we are not changing over all what is happening in Citywest at the moment in terms of numbers and Citywest has actually been working very effectively in terms of having an IPAS centre there and Ukrainians also". He said the campus has offered a range of services effectively for several years. Minister Brophy said that by owning Citywest "we can save effectively 50% of the operating costs". Minister O'Callaghan said, in terms of the programme for Government, the plan is to own 14,000 accommodation units for those seeking international protection.
The Irish Sun
17-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Govt green light €148.2m purchase of Dublin hotel & campus to house asylum seekers despite local's anger at move
THE Government has approved the purchase of the Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre for €148.2 million, the Justice Minister has said. Advertisement 2 Jim O'Callaghan said the move is 'value for money' in the long term Credit: PA He said it would be used as a screening centre where applications for Minister O'Callaghan added it was in line with the commitment in the programme for 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 The Fianna Fail TD said: '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 READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS 'Over a longer period of time, if you compare what we're spending in the private sector from the amount of Locals from Saggart protested outside 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 is informed. Advertisement Most read in The Irish Sun 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. He said: 'Very importantly, the purchase of Citywest will not result in any immediate increase in numbers. Stark pictures show migrant 'tent city' weaving through roads outside Dublin asylum processing centre '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.' 2 The purchase of the Citywest Hotel for €148.2million has been approved Credit:
