Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

The Government yesterday announced the purchase of Citywest, the main hotel and conference centre, at a cost of €148 million. What are the projected running costs? Will the State still be renting the CityArk complex, which has 400-plus rooms, from Tetrarch? The cost per person per night is €84. How much is that per year? Doubling the capacity of the site would mean the population of the IPAS centre was equal to the population of Saggart, which the Independent Ireland councillor in that area, Linda de Courcy, tells me has the local residents stunned, as there was no consultation. Why has the Minister made no reference to the Lemongrass restaurant located on the site? The owners have tried to contact the Minister several times but he has not engaged with them. Where are the Government plans to expand the complex, as per the plan laid out in the Business Post? On all of these questions, I have pleaded for a debate on this issue for the last three or four weeks but it has not been afforded to me. It has left us with no choice. However, the purchase still went on without consultation in here or out there.

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