South Tipperary TD Michael Murphy says he is deeply disappointed by Government plans to proceed with a new contract for an IPAS centre in Dundrum House Hotel.
The TD shared a response from Minister Colm Brophy that outlines the Government intention to proceed to use Dundrum House Hotel for 277 persons as part of a new two-year contract at an estimated value of €8.5M annually. The TD was sharply critical of the Government today and especially of the Department of Migration who he says provides what he calls “deliberately superficial” due diligence in examining offers of property for use as IPAS centres providing accommodation for people seeking asylum in Ireland.
The TD says the future of the complex now depends on the ongoing legal actions in the High Court that are between the current operator and US investors, the current operator and a liquidator, a separate case involving the Dundrum Heritage Group seeking a Judicial Review of the current planning process for such accommodation and also possible enforcement action by Tipperary County Council as regards unauthorised development on the Dundrum House complex. Deputy Murphy says his voice as an elected public representative is not being heard and that he was only informed that people in the IPAS system had been moved into the complex last week by protestors and not by the Civic Engagement Office within the Department of Justice.
The TD is now asking the Department to – suspend the contract, to order an independent audit of the procurement process within the Department of Justice, to halt any further expansion of numbers of in Dundrum until all planning and enforcement issues are resolved, for real engagement with the community to take place and for the Public Accounts Committee to be asked to consider if such a contract with a shell company represents value for money for the State.
