Proposed IPAS centre in Wexford village should be subject to environmental inspection – ‘there's no mains there, you're dealing with septic tanks'
As concerns continue to be raised about the possibility of an International Protection Accommodation Scheme (IPAS) centre being established in the Danby Lodge hotel in Killinick, local councillors have moved to clarify the reasons behind those specific concerns.
With cathaoirleach of the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD), Councillor Jim Codd, suggesting that his colleagues' sudden interest in the environment masked darker, more grave, concerns, it was left to Cllrs Ger Carthy and Lisa McDonald to defend their respective positions.
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Irish Independent
5 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Another vacant creche in Wexford estate as questions are asked of council – ‘What are the legalities of this?'
'Those homes have never been lived in and the creche has never been used,' she said. 'It's my understanding that it's a requirement for the developers to provide this essential service for the community. But the creche wasn't utilised, instead it's left there while we have serious childcare issues across the district. "What are the legalities of this? What can we do as a local authority?' Accepting that there are 'a number' of creches in estates across the county which haven't been developed, housing officer Sharon Ryan said there were 'conditions attached' to planning applications but that she would have to return at the next meeting with further details. Separately, Cllr O'Brien returned to an assertion recently made by chief executive of Wexford County Council (WCC) Eddie Taaffe that the council is currently exceeding its housing targets. 'There's only 12 houses listed in our monthly report in this district, and there's only been six properties advertised on choice-based letting (CBL) in the RMD this year, how can we be exceeding our housing targets?' she asked. 'That's nowhere near ambitious enough to meet the demand that's out there. Could we propose a motion from the RMD that we get our fair share of housing delivery here because we're not exceeding our targets in this district anyway.' After Ms Ryan stated that a further 55 properties in the RMD were due to be made available via approved housing bodies (AHB), Angela Finn of housing capital said that, despite appearances, the Rosslare district would meet its targets under the Housing For All scheme. 'We've already delivered 35 in Rosetown, but because it's a five-year plan and the targets were set a long time ago they are coming in slowly – a lot of them were before your time,' she said to Cllr O'Brien, who was elected last year. 'The numbers allocated to RMD haven't quite been met yet but there's two years to go and we will get there.' Ms Finn also provided Cllr Frank Staples with an update regarding houses in Tagoat which she said will be available for CBL this month.
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Eight international protection accommodation contracts terminated in first four months of 2025
Seven International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) contracts with commercial accommodation providers were ended in the first four months of the year for reasons including noncompliance with planning, fire safety and other regulations, the Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan, has said. More than 90 per cent of all international protection accommodation is provided on a commercial basis, with hotels, B&Bs and other centres taking up contracts to provide beds for people arriving in the State seeking asylum. This reliance on private providers led to the Government spending more than €1 billion on international protection accommodation last year. The budget for this year is €1.2 billion. Concerns have been raised about standards at some private accommodation centres, which are not all subject to independent inspections. READ MORE Mr O'Callaghan has said his preference is for international protection applicants to be housed in State-owned accommodation. Figures released by his department in response to a parliamentary question from Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon show that between January 1st and May 7th last, eight contracts with private accommodation providers were terminated. This represented 140 bed spaces. The department said seven of the contracts were ended by the State side, with one terminated by the provider. 'I am informed that reasons for termination can vary but can include noncompliance with contractual terms or with regulatory requirements like building and fire regulations or planning matters,' Mr O'Callaghan said. 'In the same period, 12 new IPAS accommodation contracts have been agreed, accounting for capacity of up to 848 bed spaces.' [ International protection overhaul an 'important step' in wider reform, Minister says Opens in new window ] Mr O'Callaghan said the commissioning of emergency commercial accommodation 'will continue to be necessary' in the short to medium term, but it is being contracted on a short-term basis to allow the 'State to decommission this capacity with agility as contracts expire or demand fluctuates'. Mr Gannon said he had sought figures on the numbers of IPAS contracts that were ending following a media interview given by Mr O'Callaghan last month. Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, the Minister said 'many' of the agreements with private providers were 'now being terminated'. He said this was 'because if the numbers are going down, we don't need to have as many places for accommodation as provided before'. Mr Gannon said the figures released to him showed there had, in reality, been more contracts created than ended this year. 'So, far from winding things down, the system is expanding,' Mr Gannon said. While he welcomed planned reforms such as faster processing times for international protection applications, Mr Gannon said the fairness of the system matters 'just as much' as the speed of it. 'The truth is, Ireland is already failing to meet its legal obligations. In December, over 3,000 asylum seekers were left homeless,' he said. 'In April, the European Court of Justice confirmed that housing shortages are no excuse for denying basic care. We can't afford to play politics with facts, or with people's lives. The real issue isn't too many beds, it's too little planning, too much reliance on the private sector, and not enough focus on human rights and dignity at the core of the system.' In April, the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner said IPAS centres had been the subject of six whistleblowing allegations last year. It said these centres were an 'emerging theme' for the office and it raised concerns about 'the lack of uniformity of the inspection regime' for them. The Department of Justice said: 'Owing to the protected nature of protected disclosures, the department does not comment on whether such disclosures have been made in any specific instance.'
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Eight international protection accommodation contracts terminated in first four months of 2024
Seven International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) contracts with commercial accommodation providers were ended in the first four months of the year for reasons including noncompliance with planning, fire safety and other regulations, the Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan, has said. More than 90 per cent of all international protection accommodation is provided on a commercial basis, with hotels, B&Bs and other centres taking up contracts to provide beds for people arriving in the State seeking asylum. This reliance on private providers led to the Government spending more than €1 billion on international protection accommodation last year. The budget for this year is €1.2 billion. Concerns have been raised about standards at some private accommodation centres, which are not all subject to independent inspections. READ MORE Mr O'Callaghan has said his preference is for international protection applicants to be housed in State-owned accommodation. Figures released by his department in response to a parliamentary question from Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon show that between January 1st and May 7th last, eight contracts with private accommodation providers were terminated. This represented 140 bed spaces. The department said seven of the contracts were ended by the State side, with one terminated by the provider. 'I am informed that reasons for termination can vary but can include noncompliance with contractual terms or with regulatory requirements like building and fire regulations or planning matters,' Mr O'Callaghan said. 'In the same period, 12 new IPAS accommodation contracts have been agreed, accounting for capacity of up to 848 bed spaces.' [ International protection overhaul an 'important step' in wider reform, Minister says Opens in new window ] Mr O'Callaghan said the commissioning of emergency commercial accommodation 'will continue to be necessary' in the short to medium term, but it is being contracted on a short-term basis to allow the 'State to decommission this capacity with agility as contracts expire or demand fluctuates'. Mr Gannon said he had sought figures on the numbers of IPAS contracts that were ending following a media interview given by Mr O'Callaghan last month. Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, the Minister said 'many' of the agreements with private providers were 'now being terminated'. He said this was 'because if the numbers are going down, we don't need to have as many places for accommodation as provided before'. Mr Gannon said the figures released to him showed there had, in reality, been more contracts created than ended this year. 'So, far from winding things down, the system is expanding,' Mr Gannon said. While he welcomed planned reforms such as faster processing times for international protection applications, Mr Gannon said the fairness of the system matters 'just as much' as the speed of it. 'The truth is, Ireland is already failing to meet its legal obligations. In December, over 3,000 asylum seekers were left homeless,' he said. 'In April, the European Court of Justice confirmed that housing shortages are no excuse for denying basic care. We can't afford to play politics with facts, or with people's lives. The real issue isn't too many beds, it's too little planning, too much reliance on the private sector, and not enough focus on human rights and dignity at the core of the system.' In April, the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner said IPAS centres had been the subject of six whistleblowing allegations last year. It said these centres were an 'emerging theme' for the office and it raised concerns about 'the lack of uniformity of the inspection regime' for them. The Department of Justice said: 'Owing to the protected nature of protected disclosures, the department does not comment on whether such disclosures have been made in any specific instance.'
