Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan has announced that the Cabinet has given the green light for the State to buy the Citywest Hotel and its surrounding campus in Dublin for €148.2 million, reports RTE.
The property has been rented by the government since 2020, initially serving as a Covid-19 vaccination centre.
From 2022 onwards, it has provided temporary shelter for individuals under protection, and more recently, it has accommodated applicants seeking international protection, reports RTE.
Speaking at Government Buildings, Minister O’Callaghan stated: “It really does represent value for money in terms of the amount of money we’re spending on the private commercial sector as opposed to the savings that can be achieved if we own our own accommodation.”
He added that the €148.2 million purchase price is expected to generate major cost reductions in the long run, reports RTE.
“It’s going to be far cheaper in the long-term in terms of owning it as opposed to the cost we’re paying at present per person in the accommodation,” reports RTE.
According to a statement from the Department of Justice, the acquisition forms part of a “long-term strategy to developing a sustainable accommodation system”, and the “site will deliver significant long-term savings to the State as its moves from licencing to ownership”.
The Department also noted that taking ownership of the site would “enable Ireland to meet requirements under the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum”, reports RTE.
Responding to questions about protests held outside Leinster House last week by locals against the purchase, Minister of State Colm Brophy commented: “we are not changing over all what is happening in Citywest at the moment in terms of numbers and Citywest has actually been working very effectively in terms of having an IPAS centre there and Ukrainians also”, reports RTE.
He pointed out that the campus has successfully delivered a wide range of services for several years.
Minister Brophy explained that by purchasing Citywest, “we can save effectively 50% of the operating costs”.
Minister O’Callaghan said that under the programme for Government, the objective is to secure ownership of 14,000 accommodation units for individuals seeking international protection, reports RTE.
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