Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow, John Brady, has called on the Minister for Justice to immediately scrap any idea to use the Avon Hotel in Blessington as an IPAS centre. Deputy Brady was informed by officials that due to a reduction in demand for accomodation for Ukranians the Avon will cease to be offered for accommodation to Ukrainians seeking temporary protection. The hotel has been offered to be used to provide accommodation for international protection applicants under a lease agreement of up to two years and this is being examined by the Department.
“Any decision to use the Avon hotel in Blessington as IPAS centre when it ceases to be used for Ukrainians is deeply concerning and any decision must be reversed as a matter of urgency.” said Deputy Brady.
“I have been informed that due to the reduced demand to provide accommodation to Ukrainians and that the owners have expressed an interest in providing ongoing services to IPAS.”
“The Avon is the only hotel in Blessington and is a vital piece of local tourism infrastructure, supporting jobs, local businesses, and the wider economy across West Wicklow. The natural beauty of Blessington, the lakes, the Greenway, Russborough House and the surrounding areas are key attractions for visitors. We need accommodation capacity to support and grow our local tourism offering—not diminish it further.
“The loss of The Avon to the tourism industry in 2023 has had a huge negative impact on the already fragile tourism sector in West Wicklow, which has also been hit by the loss of Germaine’s Hotel in Baltinglass, now also being used to provide accommodation services. This is a double blow to the region, stripping it of two key tourism facilities and further eroding the capacity to attract visitors, events, and investment.
“Only last month, the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan gave a clear commitment that hotels currently housing Ukrainian refugees would return to tourism use once vacated. This decision now flies in the face of that commitment, leaving the government’s word in tatters.
“This decision has been made without any consultation, local engagement, or consideration for the long-term economic damage it will cause. It is yet another example of a government completely out of touch with communities on the ground.
“As the newly elected Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, I intend to carry out a comprehensive examination of the profiteering that has emerged around the provision of IPAS accommodation, last year it cost over €1billion, this year it’s expected to cost €1.2billion. There is commitment that the State would move away from the use of private accommodation, such as hotels like The Avon, for this purpose.
“This decision not only reverses the commitment from the Justice Minister last month to ensure these facilities revert to their original use, but also further undermines the commitment made five years ago to move towards State-owned, purpose-built accommodation, rather than continuing to rely on expensive private contracts.
“The State spent over one billion euro last year on providing private accommodation for IPAS, an unsustainable and deeply concerning situation which must be scrutinised and addressed. Continuing down this path adds to the spiralling costs and does nothing to deliver a sustainable, long-term solution to the accommodation needs of those seeking international protection.”
“I have raised my strong objections directly with the Department of Justice and written to the Minister to demand this decision be reversed immediately. The lease agreement must be scrapped, and The Avon must be returned to its proper and much-needed role as a tourism facility serving Blessington and the wider region. I urge members of the public to contact Wicklow TD and Tánaiste Simon Harris and Fianna Fáil Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan demanding that any idea of entering a contract to use the Avon for IPAS be immediately scrapped.
“For too long, Blessington and West Wicklow have suffered from chronic underinvestment. The decision to remove the hotel from tourism use for another two years will have serious and lasting consequences for the local economy and jobs. It cannot be allowed to proceed.” Ends