Government fails to provide clarity on future of proposed IPAS centre in west Wicklow
The Wicklow PeopleThe Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has failed to provide an update on the future of an IPAS centre in west Wicklow.
The Avon Hotel in Blessington has been providing accommodation for Ukrainian refugees since 2022, however, with a reduction in demand for this type of accommodation, the centre has been offered to facilitate international protection applicants under a lease agreement of up to two years.
The agreement is currently being examined by the Department.
Following a question from Cllr Gerry O’Neill during the July meeting of Wicklow County Council, chief executive Emer O’Gorman indicated they have received no response yet following a query about plans for the facility.
With 95 Ukrainians due to be moved out of the area on August 8, Cllr O’Neill highlighted the pressure this move will put on housing demand in the town.
“There's huge pressure in west Wicklow with housing. And we're disappointed that there's 106 houses the minister has shelved in Burgage, it is no longer going ahead, and we must wait for decisions from here on in on that.”
Recent figures provided to a meeting of Wicklow County Council’s Strategic Housing Policy Committee highlighted the geographical spread across the county.
Arklow MD currently accommodates 36 refugees with 384 based in the Wicklow MD. Bray MD caters for 260 while the Baltinglass MD deal with 673.
There are currently no refugees being accommodated in IPAS centres in Greystones.
Reacting to the figures, Cllr O’Neill said the distribution of residents is not fair and needs to be reviewed.
“For whatever reason, probably because Simon Harris is the chief down there, but there's not one, not one refugee in the Greystones municipal area. While we all do what we can in the conditions that are there, you know it's very suspicious that Simon Harris's area doesn't have one.
“I think we should be a little bit fairer in how we deal with this. The fact that Greystones won't take one in the door, and we take over 50pc of applicants is wrong.”
In response Ms O’Gorman said they don’t have control in how IPAS applicants are managed.
“The local authority doesn't allocate the spaces. We don't get a say in where these persons are allocated. We make representations certainly on your behalf, which we have done on the Avon to the Department, but they make decisions themselves based on what accommodation is available.”
“On a point of clarification, there might not necessarily be IPAS residents in the Greystones district but there certainly are Ukrainian residents.” she added.