Proposal to accommodate International Protection applicants in former HSE HQ in Kells
Proposals to accommodate International Protection applicants in the former HSE headquarters on the Navan Road in Kells are currently under consideration.
A Section 5 application to establish whether or not an IPAS centre would be an exempted development under the planning laws has been made to Meath County Council by Star Strand Limited for the former HSE building.
The application is currently under consideration by the council’s planning department and a decision is due on 29th April.
The building had until the last few months accommodated around 70 Ukrainian refugees.
The application for the old HSE building comes just weeks after the council ruled for the second time that a proposed IPAS centre in Kells Business Park would not be an exempted development.
The council also ruled a proposed IPAS centre for a former hotel in Oldcastle was not exempt from planning permission.
The removal of Ukrainian refugees from the old HSE building in recent months caused great upset in the Kells community. Last November the people of Kells came out in force to protest against the decision to move the Ukrainians, who had become part of the local community.
Up to 150 Kells residents gathered outside the Kells Civic offices in freezing temperatures to support the refugees who were devastated by the news they were being relocated.
In a joint statement this week, the Councillors of Kells Municipal District provided an update regarding the recent applications for IPAS centres in the district, including the application for the old HSE building.
Following an initial Section Five application for a unit in Kells Business Park, the council ruled in February was not an exempted development.
A second application regarding the same building was made on 28th February regarding “The temporary use by or on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to accommodate or support displaced person or persons seeking international protection.”
The council ruled for the second time that it was not an exempted development last month.
That proposal had met with considerable opposition locally and saw a number of protests in recent weeks in Kells town centre and the business park by the Kells Says No group.
Deputy Darren O'Rourke said government incompetence has led to a broken asylum system.
"This is the third attempt to create an IPAS centre in Kells to the frustration of the local community.
"When the Ukrainian refugees were moved out of that building at short notice, the people of Kells were led to believe that it would not be used to accommodate asylum seekers."
"There has been no public consultation. The system is totally broken. A small number of people are getting very wealthy while communities are ignored."
He said the Catherine Day report, which recommended international protection applicants be housed in government run accommodation was left to gather dust.
"Government is failing on state-owned accommodation, on application processing, on follow-up. They're failing on absolutely every front and this is leading to division and anger, as faceless companies are putting in applications.
"The community in Kells is faced with repeated applications and they have no say in the Section 5 process. This that's anti-democratic and a source of frustration."