Citywest purchase and IPAS costs
Deputy Collins questioned the cost and community impact of buying Citywest and expanding accommodation capacity. The Minister said the purchase was approved to save money over time and to replace expensive private renting with State-owned accommodation.
The Government yesterday announced the purchase of Citywest, the main hotel and conference centre, at a cost of €148 million. What are the projected running costs? Will the State still be renting the CityArk complex, which has 400-plus rooms, from Tetrarch? The cost per person per night is €84. How much is that per year? Doubling the capacity of the site would mean the population of the IPAS centre was equal to the population of Saggart, which the Independent Ireland councillor in that area, Linda de Courcy, tells me has the local residents stunned, as there was no consultation. Why has the Minister made no reference to the Lemongrass restaurant located on the site? The owners have tried to contact the Minister several times but he has not engaged with them. Where are the Government plans to expand the complex, as per the plan laid out in the Business Post? On all of these questions, I have pleaded for a debate on this issue for the last three or four weeks but it has not been afforded to me. It has left us with no choice. However, the purchase still went on without consultation in here or out there.
Comment on this
Deputy Collins is correct in stating that yesterday I got approval from the Cabinet for the State to purchase Citywest for €148 million. The reason the Government approved that was because it was going to give effect to a saving of money from the point of view of the State. After four years, we will be making our money back in respect of it. We are spending far too much money renting private properties. As the Deputy knows, in the programme for Government, we have committed to buying or constructing State-owned accommodation where people will be able to live as opposed to us having to go out around communities, trying to rent places.
There will be extensive engagement with the local community. I will speak to the local TDs. Obviously, it is an issue where there will have to be a lot of community engagement in respect of it. I think people are prepared to do that and the local community will be satisfied with the response they get from me and the Government.