Solicitors representing Tipperary County Council have contacted the legal team representing Dundrum Heritage Group about the council decision yesterday to concede to an order quashing the Granting of a Section 5 Declaration to the operators of Dundrum House Hotel in January of this year. The council is represented by Limerick based firm Leahy Reidy while Kennedy Frewen Solicitors are representing Dundrum Heritage Group.
The Council is claiming that while the environment section of the council was aware of non-conforming waste water infrastructure at the complex the Council’s planning office was not aware that the newly constructed wastewater facility did not have planning permission and that it’s discharges as measured in 2024 exceeded the limits in the relevant discharge waste licence. Tipperary county council have also agreed to cover the costs of the Dundrum Heritage Group taking the Judicial Review of the decision estimated to be in the region of €20,000.
In a statement this afternoon Tipperary County Council is stressing that it will quash the Section 5 Declaration “but solely on the ground that the screening carried out by the planning department was deficient.” Brogan Capital Ventures Limited, the listed owners of Dundrum House Hotel “may seek a remittal of the Section 5 to the Planning Authority or may decide to continue to defend the Section 5 Declaration” in the High Court.
Independent Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath is calling on the Minister for Justice to immediately terminate the State contract with Utmasta Ltd for the operation of an International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centre at Dundrum House Hotel following the concession by the Council.
Deputy McGrath says the Minister’s own Parliamentary Question (PQ) reply dated 1st May 2025 confirms that IPAS contracts are only to be entered into where providers are compliant with statutory requirements and minimum standards, including planning, fire safety, and building regulations.
In addition to calling for the contract to be terminated the Independent TD is also seeking clarification on what compliance checks were actually carried out by the Department prior to signing this agreement.” Deputy McGrath adds that “The State has failed everyone involved by attempting to shoehorn a high-capacity centre into an entirely unsuitable location without transparency or proper planning. Planning laws must be upheld, and communities must be respected.”
