Plans to lodge up to 1,000 male asylum seekers on a State-owned land in north Co Dublin have been put on hold due to a court challenge that claims environmental violations and strain on sewerage and transport systems, reports Breaking News.
Without stringent control measures, there is a “significant” risk that the 1,000 men who are allowed to roam along local country roads without walkways may become a nuisance to the 300 or so nearby inhabitants, according to the local group SMTW Environmental DAC.
According to the organisation, Roderick O’Gorman, Minister for Integration, granted a legislative instrument in error, certifying that the Thornton Hall development did not require consent from An Bord Pleanála and two forms of environmental assessments, reports Breaking News.
SMTW member and director Liam O’Gradaigh stated in an affidavit that the organisation brought its lawsuit because of “serious concerns regarding the lawful sustainability of the process,” which resulted in the Minister signing the statutory instrument.
The “paucity of information” on the Minister’s decision to deem the environmental studies and planning application unnecessary, he added, is “very troubling.”
SMTW attorney David O’Brien informed the High Court on Monday that the Minister had consented to rescind his statutory instrument. According to the court, this revocation hasn’t been used yet, reports Breaking News.
The 160-acre site was originally scheduled to host 40 international protection applicants in tents in August; by October, that number was expected to rise to 400, and by the end of the year, it was expected to reach 1,000.
The agency said early last month that the first asylum seekers will be able to move into the location in October, reports Breaking News.
The department suggests replacing the military tents with 130 modular units “in due course.”
SMTW, represented by PB Cunningham & Co., claims in court filings that it was founded to guarantee the sustainable development and appropriate planning of St Margarets, The Ward, and the adjacent regions, and that it has a “keen interest in environmental protection,” reports Breaking News.
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