Latest news with #CitywestHotel
The Irish Sun
23-06-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
HSE apologises after girl, 13, given wrong Covid-19 vaccine with used needle amid €20,000 settlement
THE HSE has apologised to and compensated a 13-year-old girl who was given a wrong Covid-19 vaccination with an already used needle. A court heard Ella Mockler Mulhern, now within six weeks of her 18th birthday, had suffered significantly as a result of the Barrister James Cross, who appeared with James McSweeney Solicitors, Tallaght, Dublin, represented Ella in the Mr Cross told Judge Fiona O'Sullivan HSE staff administered the wrong vaccination when Ella attended a vaccination centre in Citywest Hotel, Saggart, Advertisement And the barrister revealed how a nurse had done so with a needle used already on one of three other people. Ella's father Niall Mulhern, of Beech Park, Lucan, County Dublin, told the court in written evidence that the second READ MORE ON IRISH NEWS He said the nurse involved had denied that the first syringe had been used previously but on his further inquiry from the Clinical Lead Nurse an investigation had been carried out it had been confirmed the syringe had been used on another person but the nursing staff had been unable to identify on which one of three other people it had been used. Mr Cross said Ella had to undergo blood tests and she had to be vaccinated for Hapatitis B. Advertisement He said at least one of the possible three people who could have been injected with the syringe used on Ella had refused to undergo blood tests and as a result Ella had to undergo a post-exposure antiretroviral therapy course for a month. Judge O'Sullivan heard this had caused Ella to feel acutely unwell with symptoms of nausea. Most read in Irish News She had been upset and distressed by what had happened and had been unable to attend school for almost a month. Ella had to undergo tests for Hepatitis C and HIV, suffering psychological sequelae as a result and also developing a fear of doctors. Just under a year later Ella had developed an abscess which had ruptured during her school sports day causing her considerable further distress and which had to be treated with antibiotics. It was not known if this had been due to the treatment she had received in Citywest. Advertisement HSE SETTLEMENT Mr Cross said an initial settlement offer of €11,500 by HSE had been rejected earlier by another judge. This had been followed by an offer of €16,500 and latterly by an offer of €20,000, expenses and legal costs which Mr Cross said he was recommending to the court. Judge O'Sullivan, approving of the HSE's final offer, said the injuries associated with what had happened would have had a serious impact on the child and she felt €20,000 compensation was acceptable in the circumstances. Barrister Seamus Breen, counsel for the HSE read out an apology on behalf of his client during which he said the defendant accepted responsibility for what had happened and pointing out that Ella was blameless for what had occurred. He said the HSE wished Ella every success in her life. 1 Mr Cross told Judge Fiona O'Sullivan HSE staff administered the wrong vaccination when Ella attended a vaccination centre in Citywest Hotel Credit: Getty Images - Getty
Irish Times
23-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
HSE apologises to teenager (17) for injection of wrong Covid vaccine with already-used needle
The HSE has apologised to and compensated a teenager who was injected with the wrong Covid-19 vaccine and later found out the nurse had treated her with an already used needle. Barrister James Cross told Judge Fiona O'Sullivan in the Circuit Civil Court that Ella Mockler Mulhern (17) suffered significantly as a result of the HSE's negligence and breach of duty. Mr Cross, who appeared with James McSweeney Solicitors, for Ella, said HSE staff administered the wrong vaccine when his client attended a vaccination centre at Citywest Hotel, Saggart, Dublin, in August 2021. Ella's father, Niall Mulhern, of Beech Park, Lucan, Co Dublin, told the court in written evidence that a second vaccine was administered without discussion or the consent of him or Ella. READ MORE He said the nurse involved denied that the first syringe had been used previously. However, he said that after making further inquiry with the clinical lead nurse, an investigation was carried out and it was confirmed the syringe had been used on another person. Nursing staff were unable to identify on which one of three other people it had been used already. Mr Cross said Ella had to undergo blood tests and be vaccinated against hepatitis B. He said at least one of the possible three people who could have been injected with the syringe had refused to undergo blood tests and Ella had to undergo a post-exposure antiretroviral therapy course for a month as a result. Judge O'Sullivan heard this caused Ella to feel acutely unwell with symptoms of nausea. She was upset and distressed by what had happened and was unable to attend school for almost a month. Ella had to undergo tests for hepatitis C and HIV, suffered mental trauma and developed a fear of doctors. Just under a year later, Ella developed an abscess that ruptured during her school sports day causing her considerable further distress. This had to be treated with antibiotics and it was not known if it was related to the treatment she received in Citywest. Mr Cross said an initial settlement offer of €11,500 from the HSE was rejected by another judge. This was followed by an offer of €16,500 and then an offer of €20,000, expenses and legal costs which Mr Cross said he was recommending to the court. Judge O'Sullivan, approving the HSE's final offer, said the episode would have had a serious impact on Ella and she felt €20,000 compensation was acceptable in the circumstances. Barrister Seamus Breen, for the HSE, read out an apology on behalf of his client during which he said the defendant accepted responsibility for what happened and pointed out that Ella was blameless for what had occurred. He said the HSE wished Ella every success in her life.
Irish Times
22-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
More than 130 properties offered for IP accommodation as Government looks to buy, not rent
More than 100 properties have been offered to the State following the latest push by Government to purchase large properties for asylum seeker accommodation. A spokeswoman for Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said 131 submissions were made in response to a call for properties for international protection accommodation to 'sell or lease'. The preference was to purchase, she said. 'That is the direction we are going.' Offers were being 'worked through and assessed', meaning it was not possible to say how many of the 131 had been offered for sale rather than lease. The spokeswoman could also not say if they were spread across every county or concentrated in a smaller number. READ MORE Not all would be suitable, the spokeswoman said, adding that they were being examined for building compliance, fire and other regulatory issues. Last Tuesday, Mr O'Callaghan confirmed plans to purchase Citywest Hotel in Dublin for more than €148 million to make it a permanent processing centre for international protection applicants. This would contribute to his plan to provide 14,000 State-owned beds for asylum seekers by 2028 rather than relying on private providers and would 'deliver significant long-term savings to the State as its moves from licensing to ownership,' a department spokesman said. The 764-bed hotel and conference centre, which has been leased by the State since 2020, had capacity to accommodate 'approximately 2,300 people between the hotel and the convention centre', the spokesman said. The latest invitation for submissions, published on the Government's E-tender website, seeks 'expressions of interest from property owners, private developers and building contractors who are interested in selling or leasing existing properties or buildings in turnkey condition [and] existing properties that require upgrading/refurbishment/renovation'. 'All properties acquired through this expression of interest process will be to provide accommodation for international protection (IP) applicants and must be on the terms of vacant possession,' the notice says. According to tender documents, properties that will not be considered are buildings set aside for social housing; accommodation planned for use by other arms of Government; student accommodation; and nursing homes which are currently operating. State-owned properties will be directly managed by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) . As of early 2025, IPAS was providing accommodation for more than 33,000 people across 325 accommodation centres. Mr O'Callaghan said purchasing Citywest was 'a hugely significant step' towards reforming the international protection system – part of which was a 'stable and sustainable accommodation network'. This was necessary to bring Ireland's system into compliance with the EU Asylum and Migration Pact which comes into force next year, he said. It will require international protection applications to be processed within three to six months, fingerprinting and photographing of adult and child applicants and the establishment of designated accommodation centres. 'State-owned centres are part of the Government's long-term plan to reduce the reliance on private accommodation providers in communities resulting in better value for money of public funds and a more efficient international protection system,' Mr O'Callaghan said. News of the Citywest purchase sparked protests by some local residents . Protesters claimed to have gathered more than 8,000 signatures of people against the move by going door-to-door in Saggart, Rathcoole and Citywest. 'Ninety per cent of the doors we called to signed that petition. It shows that 90 per cent of people in the areas around here do not want this,' said Amanda Higgins at a demonstration outside Leinster House on Wednesday.
Irish Independent
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Eoin O'Malley: CityWest deal shows the State is in the asylum business for the long haul, but the opposite approach is working for Denmark
The Danes are pursuing a 'zero refugee' policy and is sending out a strong message about how tough its rules are Today at 21:30 If we were to choose a monument to Irish policy failure, we could do worse than to pick the Citywest Hotel. The Government last week authorised the purchase of the hotel in Saggart, Co Dublin, to become a state-owned International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centre for asylum-seekers. Citywest was built by businessman Jim Mansfield, who borrowed heavily to expand it to become one of the largest hotels in Europe. It became host to some large events. All-Ireland champions partied there after victory. It was where the Fianna Fáil faithful gathered when the party was in its heyday. The faux-Georgian hotel seemed to symbolise Celtic Tiger excess and hubris.
BreakingNews.ie
21-06-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Citywest Hotel sale: Two protests planned on Sunday by residents group
Two protests by a residents group are to take place on Sunday outside the former hotel and conference centre Citywest and in Dublin city centre. The protests, the fifth by the Stop Citywest Hotel Purchase group, are aimed at highlighting residents' opposition to the Government's planned multimillion euro purchase of Citywest hotel in Dublin as accommodation for international protection applicants. Advertisement The Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan, announced on Tuesday that the Cabinet approved the purchase of the site for €148.2 million. Mr O'Callaghan's announcement came after several months of negotiations and disquiet among the local Citywest community. A spokesperson for the group posted on social media outlined that they are 'calling on supporters from other counties to join us in a strong show of unity' for a peaceful protest outside Citywest Hotel. The first protest is to take place at 2pm from the Garden of Remembrance at Parnell Square through the city centre and the second at 6.30pm in Saggart village. Advertisement The group is also planning another vehicle protest next week in Mr O'Callaghan's constituency. The Minister highlighted that owning the hotel and conference centre, rather than leasing it, would provide great 'value for money' and long-term saving for the State. He added: 'In a sector that has seen extremely high costs in recent times, 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.' Advertisement Mr O'Callaghan said he is 'committed' to reforming Ireland's international protection system to ensure its efficiency and robustness. He noted that a 'stable and sustainable accommodation network' is a central element of that reform. The hotel has been used to accommodate Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers since 2022. The site has the capacity to accommodate up to 2,300 people. It was first used by the State as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Legal action is also being considered by the Stop Citywest Hotel Purchase residents group also based in Saggart. The group held a drive slow protest on the N7 last Friday and a protest outside the Dáil last Wednesday. Advertisement A spokesperson for the group claims that the government's decision to purchase Citywest Hotel and convert it into a permanent refugee centre will have an 'irreversible effect on our village'. Ireland Government to buy Citywest Hotel for €148.2 millio... Read More The spokesperson continued: 'Such an action will not only strain local infrastructure and resources but also place significant stress on both the existing and newly arrived' people. 'Both groups are likely to suffer from inadequate integration efforts, which are essential for fostering mutual understanding and harmony.' The group pointed out that 'transforming such a significant local landmark into a permanent centre is affecting local businesses reliant on tourism and disrupting the quiet ambiance many of us value. It is causing challenges in community integration and our security.' They claim the move will place a burden on public services, such as education, healthcare, and transportation, and that they 'have seen very little help from the Government'.
