Loopholes that allow developers in Meath bypass the planning process around the provision of International Protection Accommodation (IPAS) centres must be closed off immediately.
In a motion at this week’s full meeting of Meath County Council, Aontú’ s Navan Cllr Emer Tóibín said that it is incumbent on the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration to ensure that such developments are subject to the same planning process as every other form of development in the State.
Calling on the Minister to withdraw all planning exemptions currently in place for these properties, Cllr Toibin said that “Loopholes that allow IPAS accommodation providers to bypass the planning process must be closed immediately.
Cllr Toibin said
“Ordinary working families who are simply trying to build homes are tied up in endless restrictions and delays, while IPAS developers can convert entire office blocks without a single word appearing on An Bord Pleanála’s website or the council’s planning system. This is not just wrong; it is discrimination against our own citizens.”
Right now, we have a completely inequitable situation where developers, building centres at enormous cost to the State, are being permitted to circumvent planning laws that every ordinary family must follow.
Cllr Tóibín emphasised that the motion was not about opposing accommodation for those seeking international protection, but about protecting fairness, transparency, and the integrity of the planning system.
Tabling a second motion, she called on the Minister to direct the Department of Justice’s Community Engagement Team to engage with local communities before contracts are signed for new IPAS centres.
Cllr Tóibín said
“Time and again we see the same problem repeated, decisions made behind closed doors, with communities only finding out when the contract is already signed. That is way too late. Lack of communication fuels misinformation, frustration, and mistrust and social cohesion take a serious hit. I asked for something very reasonable, that communities are respected and consulted in advance. Transparency and consultation are essential if we want to build cohesive communities.”
“Disappointingly , but sadly unsurprisingly, a Fine Gael councillor moved to amend this motion by removing the words “before contracts are signed,” thereby rendering it almost ineffective and the amendment was supported by other Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil councillors. So, despite my best-efforts, communities will still be left in the dark until decisions are finalised.
This is government councillors seeking to maintain the status quo at the expense of the wishes of the people they claim to represent. There isn’t a person out there who hasn’t been dismayed by the government’s repeated refusal to consult with local communities before opening an IPAS centre. For government councillors, the status quo must be maintained at all costs. Why? Because to admit otherwise would be to admit that their approach was wrong in the first place.
Aontú is clear: communities deserve fairness, transparency, and respect. Nothing less.
Government councillors, on the other hand, are voting to keep the status quo, a system that deliberately excludes local people from decision-making”.
