High Court quashes fast-track order for Athlone asylum centre, with four-month stay

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The High Court formally quashed the Section 181 order used to establish the Lissywollen accommodation centre in Athlone, while staying the order’s effect for four months. Unless legislation regularises the site’s planning status before 7 March 2026, the development will be in breach of planning and environmental law, according to the report.

The centre’s temporary accommodation has been dismantled and the site is being cleared. The Department of Justice said the site remains part of its strategy for accommodating people seeking international protection, while the councillors who brought the case said they intended to seek rezoning for leisure and sporting use.