Department of Justice:Up to €20 million has been spent on acquiring premises to accommodate asylum-seekers which have never been used for this purpose, according to the report.
Vehement local opposition, including pickets, blockades, legal challenges, assaults and murder threats, played a major role in ensuring that five of the 11 properties acquired by the OPW remain empty or have been sold off.
This incurred in spite of the urgent need to accommodate the massive rise in asylum-seekers from the late 1990s, and the decision by the Government that no planning permission was needed to provide this emergency housing.
In response to queries from the C&AG, the Department of Justice defended its performance, saying it had to secure as many accommodation units as possible in the shortest time possible in order to meet an explosion in demand for housing for asylum-seekers.
Since 1999 the OPW has purchased 10 properties and leased one site for use by the Department's Reception and Integration Agency.
According to the Department, the agency realised that asking communities beforehand about accepting centres for asylum-seekers was "tantamount to abandoning the planned accommodation programme". Its experience proved that most communities were not prepared to accept the arrival of asylum-seekers in their midst and some were prepared to take "physical action" to support their views.
The C&AJ's report details the measures adopted in towns in which the OPW had acquired property to house asylum-seekers.
Plans to accommodate asylum-seekers in six apartments at Myshall, Co Carlow, came unstuck after "strong opposition" from local residents in 2000. It was claimed the OPW purchase had "dislodged" a bid for the building from the Irish Society for Autism.
According to the OPW, the owner of the complex was assaulted, threatened with being shot and was placed under Garda protection.
Although the agency was still suffering a severe shortage in accommodation, it decided not to source housing for accommodation "to the detriment of indigenous vulnerable groups" such as children with disabilities. Instead, the property was made available to the local health board.
In Rosslare, Co Wexford, residents organised a 24-hour picket and a blockade after the Devereux Hotel was acquired for emergency housing of asylum-seekers three years ago.
After lengthy protests the Department agreed to dispose of the hotel "to avoid a complete standoff". The OPW eventually sold it for €1.86 million, almost €1 million less than it had cost.
The most expensive acquisition, Broc House in Donnybrook, is still empty over three years after it was purchased for €9.2 million in June 2000. Local residents who claimed the development was a change of use and required planning permission obtained a judicial review of the decision in 2001. With this case not due to be heard until next month, no refurbishment work has taken place.
In Macroom, Co Cork, the OPW acquired a 33-bedroom hotel for €3.5 million in October 2000. This premises, too, has remained empty because of legal challenges, and almost €500,000 has been spent on securing the building since then.
The OPW also had to abandon plans for a €6.5 million centre at Leggetsrath, Co Kilkenny, after determined opposition from locals. Last year it paid more than €2 million to a contractor in settlement of costs. Other costs brought the total cost of the failed project to more than €2.5 million.
