Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My office is trying to set up those meetings as we speak based on our conversation last Thursday or Friday. I put on record that Drogheda is a town that welcomes migrants and has done from all parts of the world for all sorts of different reasons. I understand the concern that taking out such a large hotel will have a major negative impact on a town, a town that has come on so much in recent years. The solution on which the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, is working is a dual use option where some of the hotel will provide accommodation for people seeking protection but the rest of the hotel can still be open to tourists and visitors and still operate function rooms and so on. It is done elsewhere, including in my own constituency. I hope we can make that the solution and then perhaps provide some additional finance for community facilities in the town. We can get there but we will need the co-operation of the operator and to sort out any issues that might arise around safety and child protection.

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