I propose to take Questions Nos. 654 to 668, inclusive, together.
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.
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.
The purchase of Citywest makes prudent financial sense for the State, compared to the current costs of leasing the site. The purchase represents a payback period to the State of approximately 4 years, and over 25 years, the purchase and operating cost model offer savings of more than €1billion, while delivering a permanent State asset.
The State has been leasing the site since 2020, 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.
There are no immediate plans to increase capacity at the site as part of the purchase. The 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.
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.
The service provider will continue to oversee the management and provision of services including catering, cleaning, maintenance and security, resident check in, operational support, finance and other services.
The purchase of this site comes with a strong commitment to engagement with the local community and the Department's Community Engagement team has begun working closely with local community leaders, community groups and stakeholders.
The Community Engagement Team has been in place since the end of 2023 and has close working relationships with community representatives and stakeholders in all areas of the country. These relate to both operational matters around both IPAS and Ukraine accommodation centres, and integration supports and services.
The team has responded to a wide range of queries about the Citywest site over recent months, through calls and contacts from local representatives and stakeholders, and issued a circular to local representatives in the weeks prior to the Government announcement about the potential purchase.
While a Government decision was required to confirm a purchase of this significance, a planned, comprehensive engagement and communications plan is now progressing.
While this is not a new centre, my Department recognises that the local community will have questions and concerns that they would like to raise.In line with the commitments in the Programme for Government, the Community Engagement Team is engaging with local stakeholders.
The Department is committed to ensuring that the local community has access to accurate information and that structures to plan for provision of essential and supports services, such as healthcare and education, are in place to assist with the integration process.
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, to co-design an engagement plan.
The team will be sharing regular Community Update documents with elected representatives and local stakeholders, the first of which was issued on 19 June 2025.
They will be available to engage with and meet groups of people within the community, to provide regular information updates to the public and to partners and stakeholders.
Meetings are being planned and scheduled in the first place with elected representatives at national and local authority level, and it is expected that these will commence shortly.
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 and mis or disinformation that may be circulated about this process or the centre. Following consultation with local representatives on the content and topics that are most needed by the community, printed local information is also planned.
I am keen to support amenities, local services and integration in the area. Our Community Engagement team is ready to work closely with local community leaders, community groups and stakeholders.
