The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O'Callaghan today secured Cabinet approval for the State purchase of the Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre for international protection accommodation.
The purchase of the site is a key part of the Government?s strategy to develop a stable and sustainable accommodation system for people seeking international protection by moving away from commercial properties to State-owned centres. The site which is already being used for both international protection and Ukraine accommodation, currently has capacity to accommodate approximately 2,300 people between the hotel and the Convention Centre. The property comprises:
- A hotel with 764 bedrooms and 12 meeting rooms
- A large multi-purpose convention centre: A leisure centre with conferencing facilities: A 6.7-hectare site with planning permission for a solar farm: A 12.14-hectare site with planning permission for a cemetery: Telecommunications Infrastructure (telecoms masts); Two car parks with just under 500 car park spaces.
The State has been leasing the site since 2020, first as part of the COVID-19 response and subsequently since 2022 as a transit hub and accommodation centre for Ukrainian citizens and people seeking international protection. Following the purchase, the Department will initiate a transition plan with the current service provider for a period of 12 months to ensure there is no disruption to the accommodation services at the site. The service provider will continue to oversee the management and provision of services including catering, cleaning, maintenance and security, resident check in, operational support, finance and other services. There are no immediate plans to increase capacity at the site as part of the purchase.
The Department is also in ongoing discussions to ensure the leisure centre on the site remains open to the public following the purchase. The leisure centre has approximately 3,000 members and is a valuable amenity for the local community