Councillors 'shocked' by plans to turn top Drogheda hotel into centre for asylum seekers
Star Will The Hotel 500 Four Seekers D Acmodate Asylum
The former mayor of Drogheda has hit out at plans to convert the town’s largest hotel into a centre for 500 asylum seekers.
It emerged on Wednesday the D Hotel on Marsh Road, which has 113 hotel rooms, will close to the public in March in order to accommodate people seeking international protection.
Elected representatives for the town were notified on Wednesday of the move and independent councillor Kevin Callan described it as “huge shock”.
Speaking to the he said he was holding an emergency meeting of the town’s Borough District Council on Thursday over the matter.
“The department notified TDs, senators, and councillors today,” he said. “The council sent a separate communication at the same time saying they were not told about it until we were.
“I am calling an emergency meeting. Everyone is shocked, nobody saw this coming.
“The deal is done — 500 asylum seekers will move in in March. The only possible measure left open to us is to call on the Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman to intervene.
“I would be saying this if a cinema or shopping mall was going in there.
“We have done mountains of work with the chamber to promote tourism and bring in business. We have appointed a Boyne Valley tourist office, we have worked with CIE coach tours, and all of these things depend on a big hotel in the town — that is our largest hotel."
Mr Callan said the town's successful fleadh cheoil in 2019 was "dependent on a hotel in the town".
The four-star D Hotel, which overlooks the River Boyne, is owned by Gleann Hospitality and was put on the market last year with a guiding price of €10m.
The group bought the hotel in 2017 and invested more than €1.5m refurbishing it.
In a statement, the Department of Integration said: “Over 200 properties are being used to accommodate people across every county.
"Despite the efforts of the department, there are not enough beds available to accommodate everyone who needs one, particularly for single adult males.
“The community engagement team is engaging with all local representatives, the local authority and the community response forum.
"It has provided them with detailed accurate information about the planned use of the property. The team has also liaised with all relevant national services to ensure that they have the relevant information they need to inform and respond to service provision locally.
"This includes services for social welfare, health, education, transport, justice, and the HSE, An Garda Síochana, the local integration teams and local development office.”