High Court quashes order for Athlone asylum accommodation, 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 temporary accommodation centre at Lissywollen in Athlone. The judge stayed the order for four months, giving the Government until 7 March 2026 to pass legislation regularising the site’s planning status before it becomes an unauthorised development.

The decision followed a challenge by four local councillors. The court awarded costs to their side for the case up to 25 July. The accommodation facilities had been dismantled and the site was being cleared, although the Department of Justice said the centre remained part of its accommodation strategy.