Citywest Hotel and Conference Centre

The Government has approved the purchase of Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre to provide accommodation for people seeking international protection. The purchase is part of the long-term strategy to develop a sustainable accommodation system, using more State-owned land and fewer commercial providers.

Many people in the area have questions about this and we want to provide accurate information about what is known and planned for this centre.

The State has been leasing the Citywest site since 2020, first as part of the COVID-19 response and then since 2022 as a transit hub and accommodation centre for both people fleeing the war in Ukraine and people seeking international protection. At 6.7 hectares in size, it has become a very important multi-functional facility for the State. There is currently no alternative accommodation centre of similar scale and facilities to process and accommodate people seeking international protection. The cross-Government response has been working extremely well at the Citywest Campus and this has been acknowledged by all State parties and NGOs.

The purchase of the Citywest complex allows the State to increase our State-owned accommodation, while saving significant public funds as we move from leasing to ownership.

The site will be purchased for €148.2 million. Compared to the costs of the current leasing model, the savings to the State will pay back the purchase price within 4 years. The State is estimated to save €1 billion over 25 years, compared to the current model for leasing the site. €15m has also been approved to be used for the delivery of essential maintenance and upgrades to the hotel and Convention Centre.

Last year, the government announced a new Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy for International Protection Applicants. Citywest is part of this strategy. The site currently has capacity to accommodate approximately 2,300 people between the hotel and the Convention Centre. This will give the state more leeway in developing a sustainable accommodation system, using more State-owned land and fewer commercial providers

There is a 12-month transition phase as the purchase of the Citywest complex is complete and plans are put in place to ensure the continuous smooth running of the centre.

The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum will come into effect on 12 June 2026. The Pact is designed to create a more unified approach to managing migration flows across the EU while ensuring respect for human rights.

The planned facilities at the site will enable the fastest and most efficient processing of asylum applications in the history of the State. Applicants who will be part of the Migration Pact border procedure will be fully processed in less than 3 months from application to final decision.

Currently people seeking international protection and people fleeing the war in Ukraine are accommodated at the centre.

There are a number of long-term residents at the centre who are Ukrainian citizens. During the 12-month transitional phase, the Department will review the needs of a plan for appropriate accommodation options for people. The Department will keep residents informed during the process.

In the future, the centre will accommodate all groups of people seeking international protection – families with children, couples and single people.

There are no immediate plans to increase the capacity at the Citywest site.

New spaces for people seeking international protection will be achieved by using the existing capacity currently being used by people fleeing the war in Ukraine, and restructures to the current layout.

This means the purchase should not lead to increased pressure on local services or the community.

This is an existing accommodation centre for people seeking international protection and people fleeing the war in Ukraine who are Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection which is deemed an exempted development under the Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No. 4) Regulations (S.I. 605 of 2022).

The Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No. 4) Regulations (S.I. 605 of 2022) were introduced to assist the State in meeting Ireland’s legal obligation to provide accommodation to international protection applicants.

As a hotel and convention centre, the Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre’s change of use is permitted as exempt development under the provisions of Class 20F of the Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No. 4) Regulations (S.I. 605 of 2022).

It’s important to note that a declaration under Section 5 of the regulations is not required for the Class 20F planning exemption to be valid.

The Regulations 2023 (S.I. 376 of 2023) extended the planning exemption provided by S.I. 605 of 2022, from 31 December 2024 to 31 December 2028. This means that the Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre can continue to operate as an accommodation centre for people seeking international protection under the provisions of that legislation for as long as it is applicable.

There will be no disruption to current services at the complex while the purchase is ongoing. After, the purchase is completed, there will be a 12-month transition period.

• Leisure Centre

The Department is aware that the leisure centre at the complex is a valued local amenity. The Department is in ongoing discussions to ensure the leisure centre on the site, which has 3,000 members, remains open to the public following the purchase.

• Restaurant

The restaurant on the site is not part of the sale and will not be affected by the purchase.

While this is not a new centre, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration recognises that the local community will have questions and concerns that they would like to raise.

In line with the commitments in the Programme for Government, the Community Engagement Team is now commencing engagement with local stakeholders.

The Department is committed to ensuring that the local community have access to accurate information and that structures to plan for provision of essential and supports services, such as healthcare and education, are in place to assist with the integration process.

The Community Engagement Team has begun engagement with local community stakeholders, including the Community Integration Forum and the Local Development Company, to co-design an engagement plan.