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Irish Times
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Coolock U-turn does not offer protesters model for blocking asylum seeker centres elsewhere, says Minister
Minister of State for Integration Colm Brophy has denied that the Government has provided anti-immigration protesters with a model for blocking asylum seeker accommodation after the scrapping of plans for a centre in Coolock. Last week the Department of Justice scrapped plans to open a controversial 547-bed facility at the privately-owned former Crown Paints site in the north Dublin suburb. The site was the scene of violent clashes last year between gardaí and protesters. There has been Opposition criticism of the Government in the wake of the U-turn. READ MORE On Sunday, Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin argued that the Government had 'made a bags' of the plans to locate the accommodation centre for people seeking international protection in Coolock. He told RTÉ radio the proposal 'could have been a template for a success story' but he criticised the level of consultation with the community and said: 'we felt that the protesters had more information than anybody who was trying to work with a sense of goodwill'. 'And it feels now, at this point, that the protesters effectively have won because the project has been pulled.' In an email to local representatives last week, the Department of Justice said the prolonged nature of the proposed centre's progress through development and planning were 'significant factors' in the decision to drop the project. 'All offers of international protection accommodation are appraised according to a range of factors, including the site and its potential, value for money to the State, planning matters and any works required to meet the required standards,' the message stated. Speaking on the same broadcast as Mr Ó Ríordáin on Sunday, Mr Brophy said he and Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan want to see the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) programme 'led by having state-acquired property, state-run, IPAS centres'. He said that 'in the long run' it is a 'process that will actually be good for the taxpayer'. Mr Brophy also said: 'We will still have a requirement for IPAS centres' and added: 'we do learn from every experience, and particularly around things like community engagement'. Put to him that the U-turn on the Coolock site has provided a model for those opposed to such centres elsewhere, Mr Brophy replied: 'No, because that won't actually work. 'What is actually important to remember is that we have many, many IPAS centres operating right around the country. 'We have very good community buy-in, and we have communities and people who are in IPAS centres, working together, coming together, regarding themselves as part of a greater or more integrated community.' Mr Brophy added: 'We have a model, we believe, through our community engagement team – and through the work that myself and Minister O'Callahan want to do in this area to make sure that we will have a programme which has also got a very good state-owned and state run facilities. 'And I think that's going to be part of making the operation of IPAS a success.' On Saturday The Irish Times reported that the Government is planning a significant expansion of asylum seeker accommodation at Dublin's Citywest Hotel as it closes in on a purchase of the facility worth at least €100 million. The hotel has been a cornerstone of the State's response to a surge in migration, with Government sources now saying the final steps are being taken towards a purchase of the 764-bedroom hotel, which has been expected since before Christmas. It is believed that if the plan is put in place, it will potentially lead to a doubling of the capacity there – with indications that up to 1,000 more people could be accommodated. Cabinet is expected to consider the purchase, possibly as soon as Tuesday.


Irish Times
17-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Government may double asylum-seeker accommodation at Citywest Hotel
The Government is planning a significant expansion of asylum-seeker accommodation at Dublin's Citywest Hotel as it closes in on a purchase of the facility worth at least €100 million. The hotel has been a cornerstone of the State's response to a surge in migration, with government sources now saying the final steps are being taken towards a purchase of the 764-bedroom hotel, which has been expected since before Christmas. It is believed that if the plan is put in place, it will potentially lead to a doubling of the capacity there – with indications that up to 1,000 more people could be accommodated. Cabinet is expected to consider the purchase, possibly as soon as Tuesday. It comes after the Department of Justice scrapped plans to open a controversial 547-bed facility at the former Crown Paints site in Coolock, north Dublin. READ MORE The site was the scene of violent clashes last year between gardaí and protesters There was significant Opposition criticism of the Government in the wake of the U-turn, which emerged on Friday. Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin , formerly a TD for the Dublin Bay North constituency where the proposed site is located, said he had wanted it to be a success story and a template for how the process should be run. 'Now it's the opposite of that. And the department have handed a template to every protest group around the country for what they need to do if they feel the need to stop an integration centre from going ahead,' he said. The Department of Justice said it engaged with a number of entities in relation to International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation and regularly did not take up offers. 'This is the position with the offer of accommodation at the Coolock site,' it said. [ Asylum seekers will not be accommodated at former Crown Paints site in north Dublin ] Social Democrats acting leader Cian O'Callaghan said there was no doubt that the handling of the proposals for the site on Malahide Road, Coolock, had been 'shambolic'. Sinn Féin TD for the area, Denise Mitchell, said it had never made sense to locate the centre at the site. The company that leased the Coolock site, Remcoll Capital, said it 'respects the decision of the State' not to proceed with the site. It could not comment further, it said, due to proceedings before the courts. Remcoll is understood to have spent €13 million on the project, none of which it expects to get back, in what would have been a €30 million investment by its Townbe Unlimited company. The Department of Justice said no state funds had been spent on development or site related costs. Townbe, founded in 2018, runs seven IPAS centres in counties Dublin, Kerry, Leitrim and Westmeath, accommodating more than 780 people. Townbe has leased the Coolock site. Costs incurred on the project, which has been under way for more than two years, include rent, legal costs, planning applications as well as security and preparatory works. It is understood Townbe was told at a meeting with Department of Justice officials last week of the U-turn, a week after responsibility for IPAS accommodation provision transferred from the Department of Children . Townbe officials are understood to have been shocked and disappointed at the decision and the company has not received a cent from the State. The company had entered into an agreement with the State, under which it would receive payment only on delivery of a ready-to-go facility. It is understood not to be considering legal action to recoup any of the €13 million as it has other contracts with the State and others pending. [ 'I was very upset about how Coolock came across': Locals believe handling of asylum-seeker centre plan a 'disaster' ] Paul Collins, owner of Remcoll Capital and Townbe, is understood to have had to leave Ireland for a period last year due to concerns for his safety in the wake of July's disorder in Coolock. In an email to local representatives, the Department of Justice said the prolonged nature of the proposal's progress through development and planning were 'significant factors' in the decision to drop the project. 'All offers of international protection accommodation are appraised according to a range of factors, including the site and its potential, value for money to the State, planning matters and any works required to meet the required standards,' the message stated.

The Journal
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Government drops plan for international protection accommodation at former Crown Paints site
THE GOVERNMENT HAS dropped plans for asylum seeker accommodation at the former Crown Paints site in Coolock. There had been plans to use the north Dublin site to house up to 500 people seeking international protection but the Department of Justice has confirmed this is no longer the case today. Protests which turned violent took place at the site last summer when a Government-contracted provider attempted to carry out work on the site. In a statement circulated this morning to local politicians, the department's Community Engagement Team said it was 'no longer considering the offer of a potential IPAS accommodation centre at the former Crown Paints site in Coolock in Dublin'. 'Since late 2023, a provider had been developing a proposal to convert the site to an IPAS accommodation centre. The prolonged nature of this particular proposal's progress through development and planning stages have been significant factors in the decision to discontinue the appraisal of this offer,' the department said. Advertisement 'All offers of international protection accommodation are appraised according to a range of factors, including the site and its potential, value for money to the State, planning matters and any works required to meet the required standards.' The department added that consideration is 'also given to the location and locality, access to services, resident welfare, health and wellbeing, and the current level of need in the sector'. Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin called on Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan to 'initiate an inquiry immediately' into how the site had been so 'grossly' handled. 'What has been lost here is any sort of coherent, well thought-out strategy from the Department,' Ó Ríordáin said. 'The Minister and the Department of Justice must now instigate a full inquiry into how this was so poorly handled so the mistakes of Coolock can't happen again.' Local Fianna Fáil councillor Daryl Barron welcomed today's decision, adding that he had been engaging with local communities and department officials over the the past 12 months. 'The building of former Crown Paints was not a suitable option for anyone seeking accommodation. This decision today will put an end to speculation and will be a relief for many local residents,' he said on social media. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal

The Journal
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
‘No chance of sanctions': We asked all 14 Irish MEPs for their view on the EU's response to Israel
IRISH MEPS HAVE shared their frustration at the European Union's response to Israel's actions in Gaza, with many of them calling it a moral failure that will damage the EU. The Journal contacted all of Ireland's current MEPs, asking for their views on the bloc's response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to get a sense of the mood in the parliament currently. It is now over nine weeks since Israel imposed a complete blockade on Gaza, cutting off supply to food, aid and medicine by refusing to allow in a single truck of humanitarian aid or commercial goods. Of Ireland's 14 MEPs, two did not respond to our request — Fine Gael's Nina Carberry and Independent Luke Ming Flanagan. All 12 of the MEPs who replied told us that the EU is not currently doing enough. Three MEPs (Sinn Féin's Lynn Boylan and Kathleen Funchion, and Labour's Aodhán Ó Ríordáin) said Israel's actions in Gaza amount to genocide. Frustration at the EPP Most of Ireland's MEPs told us that views in Europe have not shifted in relation to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Fine Gael's Maria Walsh, who sits in the EPP grouping in the parliament, was the only one who said she believes 'many' MEPs have shifted their mindset since the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel. She said this is due to 'the humanitarian abuse that Israel has inflicted since'. 'I firmly believe that the international community cannot accept this step backwards, and this sentiment is shared by many of my colleagues in the European Parliament, and my own Fine Gael party,' Walsh said. This has been contested by Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews and Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, however, who told The Journal that the EPP grouping in the parliament has been one of the main blocks on, as Ó Ríordáin put it, 'any position that could be perceived as critical of Israel'. 'It is absolutely clear to me that the EU is not doing enough,' Andrews said. 'I regret to say that despite many debates and heated discussions, the majority of the Parliament, including Fine Gael's European People's Party (EPP), remain staunchly supportive of Israel and the Netanyahu government.' Andrews believes a ceasefire and a lasting peace solution will remain out of reach while the EU is divided on this issue and that the EPP needs to be brought 'back towards the centre-ground on this.' Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher takes the view that the EU's failure to act is due to 'historical reasons'. 'Many Member States have legacy issues with regards to the horrific atrocities inflicted on the Jewish people during World War II, and are incapable of criticising the actions of the modern State of Israel,' Kelleher said, adding that the EU is 'not doing nearly enough'. Walsh's EPP colleague, Fine Gael MEP Regina Doherty told The Journal that she believes the EU is approaching a turning point, however. 'I'm appalled that in 2025, we are watching starvation used as a weapon of war. 'If Europe won't speak out clearly and decisively now, when will it?,' she said. 'Gaza is a home to children, families, and communities who are being bombed, starved, and silenced. The EU needs to stop using it as a political chessboard and speak up for them,' Doherty added. Advertisement Her Fine Gael colleague Sean Kelly said the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages must remain a top priority for the EU, but 'equally, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza demands urgent EU action'. Sinn Féin's two MEPs, Lynn Boylan and Kathleen Funchion, both described the EU's response to Israel's actions in Palestine as a 'moral failure', while Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly described it as 'not just a policy failure, but a profound moral collapse'. Mullooly also highlighted what he sees as the EU's hypocrisy. 'The EU's response to Russia's war on Ukraine has been swift and robust, but its approach to Gaza is marked by hesitation and moral evasion. Civilian deaths must be treated equally, yet the EU's failure in Gaza exposes deep hypocrisy and a betrayal of our founding values,' he said. This was a sentiment shared by Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Cowen who said 'Europe must find the courage to be consistent'. Meanwhile, Funchion argued the EU's response is 'rapidly undermining its credibility on the global stage'. Deadlock on sanctions Lynn Boylan took the same stance, arguing that it is also a diplomatic failure 'that will have consequences for decades'. Boylan, who is chair of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Palestine, noted that deadlock remains at EU level in relation to sanctions. 'While attitudes in the European Parliament towards Israel are slower to change, there has been a softening of some of the very extreme rhetoric we heard from some quarters. Furthermore, it is incredibly clear that the European public sees the genocidal actions of Israel in Gaza for what they are and are demanding real sanctions from the politicians,' she said. Despite this, most of Ireland's MEPs do not believe agreement on further sanctions can be achieved. Billy Kelleher told The Journal there is 'no chance' that the necessary consensus can be achieved to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement. 'Nothing to date suggests that any of the Member States have changed their mind one way or another,' he said. This was also the view of Independent MEP Michael McNamara, who said attitudes towards Israel are 'entrenched in the European Parliament'. McNamara said he believes there is more scope for the Irish government to act unilaterally in response to Israel's actions. 'While trade is generally an EU competence, there is a good legal argument that member states can act unilaterally where serious human rights issues are engaged, as they are in the IDF's response in Gaza,' he said. Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú said Ireland has 'paid a price' for its stance on Israel's actions in Gaza. 'Trade is the only real weapon that the EU has to influence Israel to do the right thing and meet their humanitarian obligations,' Ní Mhurchú argued. 'We have to be prepared to stop trading with Israel and let them know that we are serious about that. 'I think momentum is building to at least have a conversation in Brussels about threatening to review trade arrangements unless Israel starts to meet their international and humanitarian obligations.' Her Fianna Fáil colleague Barry Andrews added: 'The Palestinian people aren't asking for special treatment—they're asking for the enforcement of the law. And as long as we fail to do so, we contribute to the prolongation of this conflict.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal