State to pay €2m for non-existent beds for asylum seekers as part of €29m contract with hotel, Dáil told

Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman had signed a contract to lease 500 beds, for two years, at the D Hotel in Drogheda, TDs were told.

But a fire certificate issued last week for 465 beds at most, said Louth Fine Gael backbencher Fergus O’Dowd.

“That means that the developers who own that hotel will have an additional €2 million in their back pocket as a result of beds that the Minister signed up for – but that can never be filled because they can never be put in there,” he said.

The total cost of the contract, based on €80 per head per night for bed and board over two years works out at around €29m.

Mr O’Dowd noted that Taoiseach Simon Harris is meeting shortly with the business community in Drogheda to discuss the economic impact of the loss of The D Hotel and €21 million it means annually to the local economy.

“The people of Drogheda remain extremely angry at this decision,” he said.

“The Government needs to intervene and have a package for the tourists and the businesses in our town. “We need a moratorium on tourist accommodation being provided in the future in Drogheda for IPAS or temporary protection applicants.

“The Minister’s policy is making a shambles of our town.”

He said Mr O’Gorman was “throwing people out of tents all over the city of Dublin” but proposing to house them in places like Drogheda.

“The Minister needs to re-examine this policy and bring ordinary people with him – and not drive people into the arms of the extreme right wing who are getting oxygen from his actions.”

The hotel was the focus of protests by local people as well as far-right activists in recent months when plans emerged to use it to house migrants.

Mr O’Gorman replied, however: “None of us wants to be in a situation where we are taking hotel accommodation.

“That is why we published a comprehensive accommodation strategy, moving away from reliance on private providers, towards a core of State-provided accommodation.” In the short-term this would be able to provide accommodation for people who are rough sleeping at present, he said. “Another 109 people were offered accommodation today,” he said, referring to the latest Grand Canal clearance. Mr O’Dowd also claimed Drogheda was losing a major pub, which cost over €2 million to refurbish recently, as part of IPAS accreditation. “The business people in town are up in arms and they are very concerned about it,” he said. Minister O’Gorman said he the Deputy was referring to The Mercantile pub, which Mr O’Dowd later confirmed. “It was offered for international protection accommodation some time ago. It was rejected by my Department,” he said “I gather you are highlighting that there is potential that it may be re-offered. It has not been as yet – there is no offer currently with my Department. I cannot speak to what the owners will do in the future. “All I can speak to is that it was rejected for significant reasons on the previous time it came in. That is where it is. There is no current live offer for that public house.”