Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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629. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to examine the case for rescinding an international protection accommodation contract (details supplied); if a full review will be carried out into how we have reached this point, despite the local community raising these concerns for over 12 months which have been completely ignored by the Department and Local Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33921/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The accommodation centre at Dundrum House Hotel, Co Tipperary, has been providing accommodation under contract to the Department since 2022, for people fleeing war in Ukraine and for international protection applicants.

The Department's has engaged extensively with the local community about this property since May 2024, including meetings, personal contacts and ongoing correspondence, including discussion of the potential accommodation of international protection applicants at the centre. Families of people seeking international protection are resident at the site since Summer 2024.

A new international protection accommodation contract commenced at this property in April 2025 and the centre is contracted to provide accommodation to up to 277 people in families.

In all instances where the Department enters into a contract with an accommodation provider, the onus is on the provider to ensure all activities at the property are within legal limits, including health and safety, fire, planning and building compliance.

As part of appraising a property for use as international protection accommodation, the Department requires the property provider to seek confirmation from the Local Authority that appropriate planning arrangements are in place.

In January 2025, Tipperary County Council provided confirmation that the planning arrangements for this property to be used as IPAS accommodation were in order. The relevant planning exemption was confirmed to the property owner by Tipperary County Council.

That decision of Tipperary County Council was subject to Judicial Review in April 2025, and this Department was not a party to the case. The Department notes that on June 17 2025, the local authority conceded that the January 2025 planning query was not correctly assessed.

The Department will now have to consider the implications of this in conjunction with Tipperary County Council, and in the context of the needs of the families resident on site and the ongoing need for international protection accommodation across the system.