Key Takeaways
• Irish Government may buy Citywest Hotel for over €100 million to house up to 1,000 asylum seekers.
• Citywest Hotel received €16.87 million in three months of 2024 for emergency accommodation services.
• Projected 15,000 asylum seekers expected in Ireland in 2025, increasing pressure on accommodation systems.
The Irish Government is on the verge of making a big decision about the future of asylum seeker accommodation in Dublin. Officials are looking at buying the Citywest Hotel, which has been a central part of Ireland’s plan for handling new arrivals, including people fleeing war and others seeking safety from different parts of the world. If this happens, it would mark a new direction in how the country deals with the rising number of people who need shelter and support.
Citywest Hotel’s Role in Housing Asylum Seekers
Citywest Hotel has been at the heart of Ireland’s response to more people seeking protection. Since March 2022, this large hotel has been used as a transit hub. This means it is the first place many new arrivals go when they enter Ireland before they move to more permanent places. Citywest serves both people coming from Ukraine because of the war and others from around the world who are asking for what is called “international protection.” In simple terms, international protection means asking for safety in Ireland because of dangers in your home country.
In December 2022, the Citywest Hotel was home to 764 people who had applied for this kind of protection. While that number shows the hotel’s importance, it is only one part of a much bigger picture.
Citywest’s owners have played a big role in this. In just three months of 2024, the hotel received €16.87 million from the Irish Government for providing a safe place for both Ukrainians and other international protection applicants. This large sum shows how important the hotel has been for Ireland’s shelter system.
The Government’s Plan to Buy Citywest
Now, the Irish Government is ready to take a new step. Rather than simply renting space at Citywest Hotel, they are looking to buy it outright. The hotel has 764 bedrooms, but with changes, it could be used to house up to 1,000 people who need help.
Buying Citywest Hotel is expected to cost more than €100 million. For the government, the argument is simple: if you own the building, you save money in the long run and have more control. Justice Minister O’Callaghan has been open about this approach. He said that instead of building new places, buying existing ones is often the better plan, making it easier to open new centers around Ireland. Minister O’Callaghan believes that this will be cheaper over time, since the State won’t have to pay rent year after year.
The decision about buying Citywest Hotel could be made soon, with the Cabinet set to discuss it in the near future. This move comes after the government already extended its lease on Citywest through May 2025. The talks about buying the hotel are happening with the aim of giving Ireland more stable and reliable spaces for asylum seekers and refugees.
Why This Move Matters Now
The decision to expand at Citywest Hotel is happening because Ireland is dealing with more people asking for help. The Department of Justice has predicted that about 15,000 asylum seekers will arrive in 2025 alone. Since the start of 2022, about 81,000 people from Ukraine have come to Ireland looking for safety from war. On top of that, about 8,000 people from other countries looking for protection have also been accommodated at Citywest since 2022.
This increase in numbers has put a lot of stress on Ireland’s system for sheltering people. Many places that used to offer beds are not available anymore. For example, some agreements between the government’s International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) and owners of different shelters have expired. Also, the country’s ongoing housing crisis has made it even harder to find new places for the growing number of people who need help.
Because of all these pressures, the government is also thinking about bigger changes. Officials are looking at whether they should set up a new agency just to handle where migrants live, which could make things more organized. Recent events have also shown how difficult it can be to open new shelters. For example, the plan to house asylum seekers at the old Crown Paints site in Coolock was dropped after strong protests last summer.
The Cost and Funding of Asylum Seeker Accommodation
Providing shelter for people in need comes with a high price tag. In 2024, the Irish Government paid the owner of Citywest Hotel €16.87 million just for the third quarter. This huge sum is only part of what it takes to support so many new arrivals. Minister O’Gorman, who is responsible for integration, approved the extension of Citywest’s lease in April 2024, keeping the partnership going through May 2025 as the government weighed the bigger purchase.
If the Cabinet agrees to buy the hotel, the deal could exceed €100 million. While this is a lot of money upfront, government leaders argue that owning buildings like Citywest is smarter over time. If the State rents, the money only covers a certain period. But if it owns the property, it controls the costs better and can avoid future rent increases.
Justice Minister O’Callaghan has said the plan is to buy not just Citywest but also a series of centers around Ireland. The idea is that spreading out different accommodation sites will help take the pressure off any one town or city.
How the Expansion at Citywest Fits Into the Larger Picture
The possible expansion of Citywest Hotel is only one part of Ireland’s efforts to help people seeking protection. Since refugee numbers began to climb in recent years, the government has had to deal with an emergency situation. More than 11,000 people are currently in emergency accommodation in Dublin alone, according to the Dublin Simon Community, which works with homeless people. This shows how many people are in need and how much strain the system is under.
Ireland’s approach has mostly been to use Direct Provision, a system set up in 2000 to provide food and shelter to asylum seekers. Over the last eight years, the number of beds available through Direct Provision has gone down. This is partly because contracts with private owners ended, but also because of Ireland’s ongoing general housing problem.
With more people coming to the country and fewer places for them to stay, the government had to try new ideas. That is why they are considering creating a new agency to oversee migrant accommodation, look for sites all across the country, and try to keep communities informed so that new centers can open without trouble.
Challenges and Reactions From the Public
Bringing more people into any town or city can be difficult. The dropped plans for the old Crown Paints site in Coolock are a recent example. After protests and strong local feelings, the government changed its mind. These events show the balance needed between giving help to those in need and dealing with concerns in local communities.
Some politicians and groups have asked for tighter rules on who gets protection, saying that many people do not qualify and that the system should focus on those most in danger. The Justice Minister has promised action to filter out those who do not meet Ireland’s protection rules, echoing concerns that the system is stretched to its limits.
Plans for the Future
If the Irish Government buys Citywest Hotel, it would be a long-term answer, not just a quick fix. Owning the hotel means Ireland could have a stable place for about 1,000 people who need help, without worrying about rent jumping each year. It would give the State the chance to upgrade the building, manage costs, and plan far into the future for how it supports asylum seekers—both Ukrainians escaping war and others needing protection.
This approach doesn’t stand alone. The government is already looking at other sites to buy for similar use, aiming to make Ireland’s system for sheltering asylum seekers more reliable. In the short term, having a plan like this could ease some of the stress on emergency housing in Dublin and across Ireland.
At the same time, Irish officials have started talks about a new agency dedicated just to migrant accommodation. Such a group could make planning, funding, and running these centers easier, allowing for better communication with both new arrivals and the people living in nearby areas.
The Broader European Context
Ireland is not alone in dealing with these challenges. Countries across Europe have struggled to keep up with higher numbers of asylum seekers since 2022, especially with the war in Ukraine and other global crises. Like Ireland, many countries have turned hotels into temporary housing centers, faced pushback from local residents, and debated how to balance compassion with control.
For Ireland, buying Citywest Hotel would be a sign that the country is settling in for the long-term. It says, in simple terms, that shelter and safety for those in need are priorities, and that the government wants a system it can control and plan for. At the same time, this plan faces obstacles, such as financial costs and local concerns. Leaders will need to keep listening to both those coming to Ireland for safety and the people already living in these communities.
What Happens Next?
The Cabinet is expected to consider the proposal to buy Citywest Hotel soon, possibly as early as Tuesday, May 20, 2025. If approved, the deal would take some months to finish, but officials hope to have better control of accommodation before the next wave of arrivals in 2025.
What does this mean if you are an asylum seeker arriving in Ireland? You may soon find Citywest Hotel is owned by the government, with a bigger capacity and more organized support. It could mean less worry about being moved to a new location, and better planning for basic needs like food, shelter, and security.
For people living in Dublin or nearby towns, the move signals that the Irish Government wants a more long-term, steady system for newcomer accommodation—one that doesn’t depend as much on short-term hotel stays or emergency solutions.
Resources for More Information
If you are seeking asylum in Ireland or want to know more about the official process, you can find more details and guidance on the Department of Justice’s International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) website. This is the best place for updates about new accommodation centers, rules about international protection, and answers to common questions.
As reported by VisaVerge.com, Ireland’s move to buy Citywest Hotel could become a model for how other countries address the ongoing challenge of finding enough, and suitable, accommodation for people seeking protection.
Key Points to Remember
- The Irish Government is considering buying Citywest Hotel for over €100 million to expand asylum seeker accommodation.
- Citywest Hotel has been central to Ireland’s response to rising numbers of refugees, especially since the war in Ukraine.
- Justice Minister O’Callaghan supports buying properties for shelter, seeing this as cheaper over time.
- Demand for asylum seeker accommodation remains high, with projections of 15,000 arrivals in 2025.
- The plan is part of wider efforts, including possibly creating a new agency to manage accommodation and looking for more sites across Ireland.
- While the move could bring stability, it also raises questions about funding and community response.
As Ireland faces continued pressure from increasing numbers of asylum seekers, the government’s decision about Citywest Hotel could shape the country’s response for years to come. Keeping the system fair, well-run, and ready to change as needed will be central to this new chapter in Irish immigration.
Learn Today
Asylum Seeker → A person who flees their country and formally requests international protection due to danger or persecution in their homeland.
International Protection → Legal protection granted to people, like refugees, who cannot return safely to their own country.
Direct Provision → Ireland’s system, launched in 2000, that supplies food and shelter to asylum seekers during application processing.
Accommodation Centre → A government-approved facility or building providing housing for asylum seekers and refugees in Ireland.
IPAS (International Protection Accommodation Service) → Irish Government agency managing housing and support for those seeking international protection in Ireland.
This Article in a Nutshell
The Irish Government is considering purchasing Dublin’s Citywest Hotel for over €100 million to accommodate up to 1,000 asylum seekers. This move could provide more stable, long-term housing solutions amid rising arrivals and a national housing crisis. Officials believe ownership will reduce future costs and improve shelter oversight.
— By VisaVerge.com
Read more:
• TDs Probe €1 Billion ‘Blowout’ on Asylum Seeker Accommodation
• Ireland Tightens Asylum Rules Amid Warnings of Homelessness Risks
