That’s according to Fine Gael councillor John Crosse, who said that people living in and around the village of Dundrum want to see Dundrum House be brought back into use as tourism accommodation, not an International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centre.
The hotel has sparked heated debate in recent months after it emerged that a contract was signed to house IPAs at the historic Tipperary hotel. Concerns were raised when it was revealed that the company managing the centre had only recently been established and was registered to an address in Spain.
Last month it was announced that the company who own Dundrum House Hotel – Brogan Capital Ventures – went into liquidation, with the hotel closure causing a loss of 48 jobs. However, the IPAS centre on the site was unaffected.
At the September meeting of Tipperary County Council, Cllr Crosse said that the local authority, or Tipperary Tourism, should put forward a motion to ensure that the Dundrum House Hotel site be designated as tourism and leisure use.
“Tipperary Tourism, or maybe ourselves as a council might be able to bring a motion forward on the issue of Dundrum House Hotel, and the designation of the entire site of Dundrum House Hotel, and that it is ringfenced as tourism and amenity for that area,” Cllr Crosse said.
“I speak for the whole of the county and all the locals around the Dundrum area, this is what they want the hotel to be returned to, and if it had a certain designation, it could attract developers and people with money to develop that site and bring it back to its former glory,” Cllr Crosse added.
The closure of the hotel’s golf course, leisure centre and restaurant was met with shock across Tipperary, with one local councillor saying that the historic site is now in jeopardy.
Calls are growing for Dundrum House Hotel to be returned for tourism use
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – Tuesday, September 9
Independent councillor Liam Browne said at the time that the closure is a community issue, not just a business one.
“Vital facilities like the golf course and leisure centre are closed, and a historic site is now in jeopardy. The government must immediately investigate why a company with unknown beneficial owners was given a State contract, confirm whether public funds were paid, and take urgent steps to protect jobs and services in Dundrum,” he said.
Independent TD for Tipperary, Mattie McGrath, described the sudden closure of Dundrum House Hotel and its facilities as a “devastating blow to staff, local suppliers, and the wider community,” and called on government ministers to urgently intervene.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme