Plans to open a refugee accommodation centre in rural Limerick have stalled following an intervention from Minister for Higher Education Patrick O’Donovan.
The Department of Integration, headed up by Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman, had been moving forward with plans to accommodate up to 35 people at the site of a former nursing home in Tournafulla, which is in Mr O’Donovan’s Limerick County constituency.
However, issues were raised by Mr O’Donovan with his Cabinet colleague, and also by other elected representatives with the Department’s community engagement team.
Officials from the Department told politicians earlier this month that after matters had been raised by local representatives it was “endeavouring to provide greater clarity” before issuing a further update.
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While no final decision has been taken, the opening of the centre – at least before a general election – appears to be in the balance.
Reports had circulated within Government that the issue had led to tensions, with a source saying the ministers “went at it”. However, this was disputed by sources close to Mr O’Gorman who said the exchanges were nothing out of the ordinary and that no heated words were exchanged.
The issue of providing accommodation to asylum seekers has proved increasingly difficult and politically divisive as the Government struggles to find beds amid a significant increase in the numbers of people seeking protection in Ireland.
In a statement, a spokesman for Mr O’Gorman said: “Minister O’Donovan raised the issue with Minister O’Gorman, and other Limerick Deputies also made representations to the Department’s Community Engagement Team.
“No decision about the use of the property has been taken pending consideration of issues raised.” There was no response to a request for comment to Mr O’Donovan.
The property was formerly known as Lir Retirement Home and is located at Maughton’s Cross in Tournafulla, east of Abbeyfeale and near the border with Co Cork.
It comes as Mr O’Gorman’s department continues to ramp up plans for accommodation for asylum seekers on state-owned sites. A major site at Thornton Hall in north Dublin will accommodate over 400 people by November with plans for hundreds more beds in the following months.
The Green Party leader has said the Government plans to scale down its reliance on the commercial sector amid expectations that significant rates of asylum seekers will continue arriving into the country in the short to medium term.
It is believed that the site of the proposed project was submitted to an open call for accommodation options put out by the Department of Integration earlier this year. During the summer the Department indicated that more than 30 large buildings had been earmarked for potential use arising from this process, as protests against the accommodation of asylum seekers raged in Coolock.
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