Councillors in West Tipperary are calling on the Department responsible for sourcing long term accommodation for asylum seekers to pause plans to sign a contract with an operator at the Dundrum House Hotel complex.
The Civic Engagement lead at the Department, Eibhlin Byrne, gave a presentation to Tipperary councillors at today’s plenary meeting and indicated that a contract signing was imminent between the State and Dundrum. The facility has had a contract for accommodation for refugees for Ukraine with the capacity identified as being 277 persons.
The number of Ukrainians at the facility has declined to approximately 40 at present and plans to relocate these people were paused in early February following an intervention by the Tánaiste Simon Harris at the request of Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath.
Two local groups in Dundrum that are opposed to the creation of an IPAS centre at the complex have raised a range of issues as regards the suitability of the premises, the location, the impact on the local community and a dispute between the current operator and the owners. Investors based in the US have taken a High Court Action against the current operator claiming to be the beneficial owners of the complex. It is understood that the Department is to sign a contract with a different operator for Dundrum.
Cllrs Roger Kennedy, Mary Hanna Hourigan and Anne Marie Ryan all requested Ms Byrne to convey their request to the Minster that no contract be signed until the High Court case is finalised.
