‘Massive pressure’ on Government not to renew IPAS contract for Louth hotel

There is “massive pressure” on the Government not to renew the IPAS contract of a hotel in County Louth, the Dáil has heard.

Louth Sinn Féin TD Joanna Byrne raised the case of The D Hotel in Drogheda during a recent debate on the International Protection Bill.

She was speaking amid a proposed amendment to the bill by the Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration

The amendment suggests that the Department of Justice should not enact the bill until it had the adequate resources to implement it.

Deputy Byrne said: “If the Minister of State needs an example as to why this amendment is crucially important, he should talk to any of the nearly 50,000 people who live in my hometown of Drogheda.

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“Overnight, and at the stroke of a pen, the only hotel in the town was taken away without any consultation with the local authority or without any consultation or communication with the elected representatives in the area.

“As my colleague pointed out, we got an email the night before to say that the contract had been signed.

“There was no consideration given to the impact this would have on the hospitality trade and the tourism trade, or to the effect it would have on the arts, tourism and the surrounding areas.”

She added that the “soul of the town was completely destroyed” and that it is still trying to recover two years on.

Deputy Byrne went on to outline the current situation at the hotel and the pressure the Government is under when it comes to the hotel’s future.

“The contract is up for renewal over the next few weeks. There is massive pressure from all elected representatives, both locally and nationally, for it not to be renewed.

“The reason that has been asked of the Government and the reason why a community impact assessment is needed is because what has happened has had a devastating impact.

“The Chamber of Commerce vocally opposed the closure of the hotel. Those involved with the business improvement scheme, who were not consulted or engaged with, came out against it at the time.

“To this day, it remains their position that what happened decimated the heart and soul of the largest town in the country and left us with no functioning hotel.”

She continued by saying that such decisions cannot continue to be made without any consultation with local communities.

Deputy Byrne concluded by warning that without the amendment to the bill, such decisions would continue to “rip the heart and soul” out of communities.

These sentiments were echoed by her party colleague and fellow Louth TD, Ruairí Ó Murchú. He also voiced his support for the amendment and raised the case of The D Hotel in Drogheda.

Deputy Ó Murchú said: “It is right that we talk about The D Hotel in Drogheda. It was not good enough that the people of Drogheda lost that amenity.

“Proper due diligence was not on the contract and there were issues with fire certificates and all the rest of it.”

He criticised the Government’s reliance on the private sector when it comes to the provision of IPAS centres.

“As we have always seen, this State and the Government rely on the private sector. People saw an opportunity and jumped in to make a profit, which is what they did.”

“I accept that some people ran reasonable businesses, but some chancers made a complete fortune.

“The way they operated businesses, if that is what we want to call them, was no addition to the people living in the accommodation and caused disaster in the communities where this happened.”

Deputy Ó Murchú acknowledged that in some areas, asylum seekers have integrated well with local communities. However, he also highlighted the need for public consultation.

“The Minister and Minister of State may not want to accept the amendment from Deputy [Matt] Carthy, but I beg them to find a means to have proper, decent interaction with communities and to do a proper assessment of resources and a needs analysis.

“This would be necessary even if we were not dealing with the issue of international protection. I fear that this abject failure will continue.

“It has done nothing but a disservice to our communities which have been failed for far too long.”

Labour TD Ged Nash also spoke on the bill and made reference to The D Hotel in Drogheda. He told the Dáil that he has engaged with the Government on the issue.

Deputy Nash said: “The Minister and Minister of State will be aware that two years ago this week the previous Government signed a contract to use all of The D Hotel in Drogheda to provide accommodation to international protection applicants.

“I wrote to both of them recently and raised this by way of parliamentary question to get their assessment of whether this contract will be renewed on expiry.

“It is due to expire this week, this month. About the time that contract was signed I worked very hard under extreme pressure with other colleagues in my community to ensure this decision and the response to it was managed effectively.”

He went on to praise the people of Drogheda’s response to the opening of the IPAS centre at the time.

“It was managed well in our community in the way I would expect and the response was precisely what I would expect from the people of the great small city I am from, which I am proud to represent.

“We are a town that is synonymous with solidarity and we have shown that time and again.

“At this time two years ago when other parts of the country were frankly disgracing themselves, our flag and the essence of Irishness, the people I represent did not.

“We chose not because that is not who we are. We are people who show solidarity and people who show leadership.”

However, he also highlighted the negative impact the decision has had on the town’s tourism industry.

“The decision taken two years ago removed more than half of Drogheda’s hotel bed stock at the stroke of a pen.

“It removed the largest full service hotel from the tourism landscape. An economic assessment done at the time suggested the cumulative loss to the local economy was about €22 million annually.

“This is not on those who need accommodation when they come here to have their applications assessed, who are coming here seeking safety and the shelter which is their entitlement.”

Deputy Nash emphasised the importance of The D Hotel to Drogheda’s economy, describing it as a “key piece of very critical local economic infrastructure”.

He also criticised the conditions for migrants living at the centre, which he believes are inadequate.

“This or indeed any other hotel in the country is not an appropriate place for children or families and this place has been no exception.

“On countless occasions over the last two years [...], I have represented people and families who have been treated very badly in this place.

“I have made the reports and they are on record. I have engaged with officials. There is a lengthy list of issues with this place.

“As I said, the contract expires this month. This hotel has a track record. It is inappropriate.”

He also called on the Government not to renew the contract for the IPAS centre at the hotel.

“From the point of view of the needs of the local economy, the contract must not be renewed. It is as simple as that.

“The Government's promise at the time that this would be a two-year contract must be honoured.

“The commitment made by the owners that this would be a two-year contract and that the funds generated by the company would be reinvested in the hotel must also be honoured. The hotel must be returned to productive economic use locally.”

Deputy Nash concluded by requesting the Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, to make specific reference to The D Hotel in his address to the chamber.

In his address, Minister O’Callaghan did make reference to Deputy Nash’s remarks but only to point out that there are issues in every constituency.

He added that faster processing times, extra accommodation and employment would help alleviate these challenges.