Roscrea standoff: Government agrees ‘in principle’ to purchase disused hotel in town as ‘community hotel’

The Government has agreed “in principle” to support a plan to purchase a disused hotel in Roscrea as a “community hotel” as part of moves to defuse tensions over the accommodation of asylum seekers in the town.

Jackie Cahill, the Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary, presented the plan to Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman at a meeting today.

Speaking on Tuesday evening, Mr Cahill said that Mr O’Gorman had indicated that there was agreement in principle among the Government parties to support the project and to examine mechanisms, including funding mechanisms, that could be used to support it.

Mr O’Gorman has been holding talks to local representatives against the backdrop of tensions in the town after resistance to a plan to accommodate up to 160 asylum seekers in the hotel.

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“We put forward this proposal today that a community-based hotel would be an ideal solution, with the profits of the hotel going back into the community,” Mr Cahill said. “To me this ticks numerous boxes as regards Government policy, and putting a hotel back in the town centre which can only help with the commercial revitalisation of the town centre,” he said.

Mr Cahill said that Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Smith had held discussions with the auctioneer appointed to oversee the sale of the closed hotel with a view to the State purchasing it, refurbishing it and reopening it as a community hotel.

“We put it forward and have got agreement on our proposal today,” he added, saying the next step was to try to reach an agreement with the vendor.

Protesters have said that the loss of the town’s only remaining hotel is among their chief grievances arising from its planned use as accommodation for asylum seekers.

The proposed site of the community hotel is the former Grant’s Hotel in Roscrea town centre, formerly a 24-bedroom business which has been vacant since it was shut down with the loss of 20 jobs in 2013. There have been calls in recent years for the council to bring the building back into use. Local reports in 2013 said that the hotel building had been sold at auction to a Co Cavan businessman.

The proposal cites the example of a community-owned and managed hotel in Knockatallon, Co Monaghan – the Sliabh Beagh – which was opened in the year 2000 with funding from post Good Friday Agreement funds, as well as other sources.

[ Roscrea locals leave toys for children outside Racket Hall, saying ‘our protest isn’t about any of the people coming here’ ]

Earlier today Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the 10 areas most “under pressure” due to the numbers of refugees and asylum seekers being accommodated are to receive extra resources in health, education and policing.

Speaking to reporters on his way into Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Mr Varadkar said he would be asking all Ministers to come together and take the 10 districts in the country that have the highest proportion of people from Ukraine and international protection applicants and “put together a special package to help those areas that are under pressure”.

The Taoiseach said the Government now needed to go beyond measures already announced in the Community Recognition Fund – a €50 million cash pile allocated last year for communities hosting large amounts of migrant accommodation.

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