Latest news with #BOTPs
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Historic Mayo mansion will no longer accommodate Ukrainian refugees
Ballinafad House, which accommodated over 30 beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (at one point, will revert to alternative use next month. The 110-room property, owned by Australian Bede Tannock, has accommodated Ukrainian refugees since 2022. The historic property had been providing accommodation and operated as a venue for weddings, civil ceremonies and public gatherings. The Department of Justice has confirmed that the property, and Hotel Newport Holiday Apartments, while revert to original or alternative use. Eight people are affected by the discontinuation of the use of Ballinafad House while eleven were living in the Hotel Newport Holiday Apartments. Approximately 2,400 Ukrainian refugees across the country are to be affected by the change of purpose of 30 properties. The Department of Justice said the contracts with private accommodation providers were not being renewed partly due to a 'reduced need' for such facilities to accommodate BOTPs. 'Many people are choosing to move on from State-supported accommodation or are leaving Ireland,' the department stated. 'State accommodation contracts may also be ending where compliance issues arise, or where the owner chooses to end their contract.' Those residing in Ballinafad House must relocate by June 6 while those in the Hotel Newport Holiday Apartments must relocate by July 4. It is understood that many of those who had been living in Ballinafad House have now left the property. Built near the village of Belcarra in 1827, Ballinafad House had fallen into disrepair when restoration works began there in March 2014. ADVERTISEMENT The 70,000 square foot property featured on RTE'S 'Great House Revival' and boasts 40 bedrooms, its own chapel and handball court. The five-bay two-storey-over-raised-basement mansion was built by Maurice Blake, a former High Sheriff of County Mayo, who hailed from a well-known Catholic family who pioneered Gaelic games in the locality. In 1908, Maurice and Anne Blake's son, Lieutenant Colonel Count Llewellyn Joseph, donated the building to the Society of African Missions (SMA). The SMA used the building as a secondary school and minor seminary, known as The Sacred Heart College, to prepare students for missionary priesthood as more ancillary buildings were built onto the house. Over 500 priests were ordained there before the seminary closed in 1957. The property was later purchased by Balla Mart, who used it used as an agricultural college. It closed due to a lack of funding in the mid-1970s after five years in operation. This forced 80 boarders and 120 day students to continue their education elsewhere. Plans for a 'detention centre' and a 'multi-million-euro sports complex' at Ballinafad had been reported in The Mayo News years before Mr Tannock acquired the property for €80,000 in 2014. In 2019, Ballinafad House was placed on the market for €2 million.
Irish Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Buses and taxis for international protection applicants cost €12 million
More than €12 million has been spent transporting international protection applicants to accommodation centres throughout the country since February 2022, new figures have revealed. The cost relates to bus and taxi services used to transport asylum seekers from their point of arrival in the country to accommodation centres. More than 89,500 beneficiaries of temporary protection (BOTPs) have been provided with accommodation by the state during the period. Almost 24,300 of those are currently in state-supported accommodation, while around 38,000 are in accommodation with hosts in receipt of the Accommodation Recognition Payment. A total of €4.12 million was spent on transport for BOTPs in 2022 following the activation of the EU Temporary Protection Directive in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The directive places obligations on EU member states regarding services and entitlements that must be provided to those seeking temporary protection. The transportation bill increased to a peak of €4.75 million during 2023, but fell significantly to €2.43 million last year. A further €770,000 has been spent on buses and taxis for BOTPs to date in 2025. The figures were published by Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan in response to a parliamentary question from independent TD Carol Nolan this week. 'The Irish State and the Irish people have responded with exceptional support and generosity since 2022 in supporting people seeking temporary protection here from the war in Ukraine,' he said. A total of 116,040 people have been granted temporary protection in Ireland since 2022, which Mr O'Callaghan said was 'an important demonstration' of solidarity with Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression. '[BOTPs] hold temporary permission to remain in Ireland, and this permission is renewable on an annual basis as long as the directive remains in force,' he explained. 'Under the directive, those fleeing the war against Ukraine are entitled to apply for temporary protection in any member state and to move from one member state to another.' The Department of Justice is currently in the process of renewing BOTPs' permission to remain, requiring applicants to prove that they are currently residing in Ireland. 'It is envisaged that this project will be concluded later this year and, once completed, I will be in a position to outline the total number of BOTPs who are currently resident in the state,' said Mr O'Callaghan. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has estimated that around 75 percent of those granted temporary protection are still in the country, based on activity associated with their PPS numbers.
