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Rollingnews.ie

Citywest Hotel to be bought at a cost of €148 million for international protection accommodation

The State purchase of the Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre will come at a cost of €148 million.

THE GOVERNMENT SIGNED off on plans to buy Dublin’s Citywest Hotel to use for international protection accommodation. 

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan announced today that he secured Cabinet approval for the State purchase of the Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre at a cost of €148 million. 

The minister said today that the move is part of a long-term strategy to develop a sustainable accommodation system which should deliver savings for the State. 

The purchase of the property will also ensure the government meets its obligations under the new EU Pact on migration. 

The site which is already being used for both international protection and Ukraine accommodation, currently has capacity to accommodate approximately 2,300 people between the hotel and the Convention Centre.

The hotel has 764 bedrooms and 12 meeting rooms and in the past has been used as a large multi-purpose convention centre. 

The State is currently accommodating almost 33,000 people in over 320 International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres around the country including 9,500 children with their families.

Since 2020, the Citywest site has been used by the State, first as part of the Covid-19 response and subsequently since 2022 as a transit hub and accommodation centre for Ukrainian citizens and people seeking international protection.

The minister said there have been “extremely high costs in recent times” regarding accommodation, stating that purchasing Citywest makes prudent financial sense for the State compared to costs of leasing the site.

“The purchase represents a payback period to the State of approximately four years, and over 25 years, the purchase and operating cost model offer savings of more than €1 billion, while delivering a permanent State asset,” he said. 

The minister said he is committed to reforming Ireland’s international protection system to ensure its efficiency and robustness.

“My goal is to improve processing systems so that people can receive a decision quickly and fairly, curtailing the need for constant growth in our accommodation system,” he added.

There are no immediate plans to increase capacity at the site as part of the purchase, with the minister clarifying today that his department is also in ongoing discussions to ensure the leisure centre on the site remains open to the public following the purchase.

The leisure centre has approximately 3,000 members and is a valuable amenity for the local community.

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    Mute Glen
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    Aug 15th 2014, 5:35 PM

    And they want to charge people for this sewer smelling fluoridated slop they call water ……

    140
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    Mute Bren O'Connell ت
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    Aug 15th 2014, 5:38 PM

    Ballygowan slop.

    46
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    Mute Antonov Merinov
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    Aug 15th 2014, 7:06 PM

    What is it with this country and it’s water supply❓
    I am glad that I have my own well.
    I would feel very aggrieved if I was asked to pay for this service.

    44
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    Mute Alison Te Hira Mee
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    Aug 16th 2014, 3:43 AM

    I’m not being facetious but wouldn’t the idea that once people are paying for the service, then the government can afford to pay for repairs and decent pipes etc? I live in Sydney and pay for water and I’ve no issue with that. Now if the water supply went to sh*it , i would then have an issue paying but if I wasn’t paying, why would I expect to get it for free? I know this won’t go down well but please someone explain why people expect to get water service for free??

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    Mute Joan Dolan
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    Aug 16th 2014, 9:26 AM

    I think the problem is though Alison, that this is another bill coming into people’s houses after a few years of reductions in people’s wages, people having lost their jobs, reduction in payments such as childrens allowance, social welfare payments and the introduction of property tax and people arent sure how much more they can take to survive. Also, we were told the property tax was going into our local area and would be used to benefit our area but we cant get so much as a zebra crossing or lollipop lady for our schools without being told by the council we would have to fund raise for it ourselves. In an ideal world, water rates revenue should pay for rusty pipes to be fixed and a better service but I guarantee you in 12, 24 or even 60 months time, warnings such as these will still be issued by the councils that the water is not adequate for consumption.

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    Mute FollowMe❤ #FreeMeers
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    Aug 16th 2014, 9:35 AM

    It’s not the paying for a service we have an issue with. It’s paying it to a private company who have a monopoly and therefore will charge us what they like. We are being forced into this, and the water supply is not up to scratch and they will not improve it. This is how they work here in Ireland. The government is no better at all- look at what they did to the M50 tolls. In essence, we are fed up of having less than no money when we pay high taxes already.

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    Mute Celticspirit321
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    Aug 15th 2014, 6:23 PM

    What the government hasn’t realised is that when people pay for a service and that service isn’t up to scratch, the 3 Rs come into play. Repair, replace or refund. If they keep dishing out piss, legally, we don’t have to pay a cent

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    Mute Dublinjonny
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    Aug 15th 2014, 5:46 PM

    Don’t worry Co.Clare sure as soon as the water meters are in you can now have the luxury and benefit of paying for piss water

    66
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    Mute Alanearls
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    Aug 15th 2014, 7:04 PM

    My mum lives in Clare, she hasn’t been able to use tap water for years, they gave her a nice shiny new meter recently though, I wonder does it make the water that passes through it better quality

    44
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    Mute Fergal Kelly
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    Aug 15th 2014, 5:45 PM

    Hang on now, how exactly do they stop algal bloom?? It’s nature ffs

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    Mute Alan O'connor
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    Aug 15th 2014, 5:53 PM

    Jesus don’t introduce facts into an argument on the journal. You’ll be vilified forever!!!

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    Mute Mahon Slattery
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    Aug 15th 2014, 7:03 PM

    Algal blooms are usually caused by nutrient pollution by nitrogen, phosphates from agriculture, intensive animal farming fertilisers and household cleaning products. Climate change is also thought to encourage their progression. Not nature.

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    Mute David Geraghty
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    Aug 15th 2014, 10:32 PM

    Nature? As in farmers polluting de gaff nature?

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    Mute Kevin f
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    Aug 15th 2014, 8:18 PM

    All the summers as a child and teenager spent having fun on this lake…. Hours each day… Peeing in it all the time like everyone else……. I wonder has this led to the onset of this fungal problem????

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    Mute Adrian Beakey
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    Aug 15th 2014, 10:58 PM

    Played on the lake during my child hood and pissed in it as well.
    And the summers were better back then .
    With no bloom on the lake ???? None that we were told about anyway.
    I am still drinking the water because it did not kill us back then and it won’t kill us now.

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    Mute Alan McLoughlin
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    Aug 16th 2014, 1:02 AM

    Corofin is my home town. It has only recently had the water filtration and treatment system upgraded/renewed. The issue lies with irresponsible farming practices, and I would ask anyone who spots a farmer spreading slurry during heavy rain to report this to the EPA immediately to prevent further algal bloom from appearing.

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    Mute Alan McLoughlin
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    Aug 16th 2014, 1:06 AM

    The regional office is based in Limerick and you can call them on:
    061-224764

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    Mute spuds mcgoo
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    Aug 15th 2014, 9:31 PM

    You can’t even shower with the stuff??? That’s just shocking

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    Mute Brian Troy
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    Aug 15th 2014, 11:25 PM

    What happened to the earlier article about floride costing each taxpayer a million Euro a week or some tripe. Where is the apology?

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    Mute pad mul
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    Aug 16th 2014, 12:09 AM

    tho has pretty much become an annual thing. every August, for as long as I can remember; these notices have been issued.

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    Mute Caroline aMarie
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    Aug 16th 2014, 6:14 PM

    Another way or having the water changes justified.BOO.

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    Mute Caroline aMarie
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    Aug 17th 2014, 9:30 PM

    Sorry typo.I meant water CHARGE.

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    Mute Brehon Law
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    Aug 16th 2014, 8:26 AM

    Same thing is happening in lakes in the US – check out GreenPartnerNews for more info if interested

    1
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