Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
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746. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he is aware that the people of Saggart County Dublin are completely opposed to permanent use of a hotel (details supplied) as an IPAS Centre; if he will intervene to ensure that the voices and wishes of the community are respected and the decision to use the Hotel is reversed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39488/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The Cabinet provided approval on 17 June 2025 for the State purchase of the Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre for international protection accommodation.

The purchase of the site is a key part of the Government’s strategy to develop a stable and sustainable accommodation system for people seeking international protection by moving away from commercial properties to State-owned centres.

The purchase of this site comes with a strong commitment to engagement with the local community and the Department's Community Engagement team is now working closely with local community leaders, community groups and stakeholders.

State-owned centres are part of the Government’s long-term plan to reduce the reliance on private accommodation providers in communities resulting in better value for money of public funds and a more efficient international protection system.

Following the purchase, the Department will initiate a transition plan with the current service provider for a period of 12 months to ensure there is no disruption to the accommodation services at the site.

While this is not a new centre, the Department recognises that the local community will have questions that they would like to raise. The Department is committed to ensuring that the local community has access to accurate information.

The team is in contact with local community stakeholders, including the Local Authority, the Local Authority Integration Team and Community Integration Forum and the Local Development Company, and is co-designing the engagement plan with these stakeholders. They are scheduling meetings with groups of people within the community, to provide regular information updates to the public and to partners and stakeholders. This includes representatives of local residents groups.

A dedicated webpage to support the public to keep them informed of developments has been published at www.gov.ie/communityengagement.

This will be kept up to date with progress as the purchase progresses, and will be used to share factual, trusted information and tackle any disinformation that may be circulated about this process or the centre.