Department of Justice ‘still committed’ to opening Moville Direct Provision Centre

Yesterday, the department said it was not in a position to proceed with plans for the Shannon Key West Hotel in Rooskey, which was to accommodate 80 asylum seekers and suffered two arson attacks earlier this year.

In a statement, they said the decision was taken following legal advice sought from the Chief State Solicitors Office “which found difficulties with the lease agreement between the owners of the hotel, and the operator renting it, which made proceeding with the proposed centre unviable.

They added that the Department “is not party to these lease arrangements and these matters are outside our control.”

Following the news, the ‘Journal’ sought confirmation on the future of the centre earmarked for Moville, at the former Caiseal Mara Hotel.

A spokesperson for the department confirmed it was “still committed” to opening the centre.

They added the situation had not changed from the last update in late February, that stated: “The current situation is that the owner’s insurance company have commenced assessing the damage from the recent arson attack.

“Upon completion of this assessment, the contractor can commence repair works at the Caiseal Mara Hotel. We continue to liaise closely with the contractor, but have no set date for the completion of necessary repairs.”

The Caiseal Mara Hotel also suffered an arson attack in November, followed by a brick thrown through a security guards’s car window the following month.