Work planned on restoring ex-Athlone IPAS centre site

The Department of Justice said it's planning "a programme of works" over several months to restore the site of the controversial former IPAS accommodation centre at Lissywollen to its original condition.

A spokesperson for the Department told the Westmeath Independent it had secured "an extended licence" from the OPW, the owner of the land at Lissywollen, "for the purpose of remediation works".

The site on the outskirts of Athlone was used to accommodate international protection applicants from late 2024 into 2025, but its use as a temporary accommodation centre was halted last year on foot of a successful High Court challenge brought by local councillors Paul Hogan, Frankie Keena, Aengus O'Rourke and John Dolan.

On Friday last, a Department spokesperson said: "A programme of works has been developed to remediate the condition of the site. This process is expected to take several months."

The update appears to serve as further confirmation that the Department is not currently planning any return to the site's use as a hub for accommodating international protection applicants.

In April, councillors O'Rourke and Keena said they had been given assurances by Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan that he had "no plans whatsoever" to open an IPAS centre in Athlone.

The temporary accommodation structures at the site were dismantled and removed towards the latter stages of last year, but in recent months the councillors involved in the High Court action criticised the condition in which the site was left and called on Westmeath County Council to initiate enforcement proceedings against the Department.

Last week, Westmeath County Council chief executive Barry Kehoe said the Lissywollen site was under "active investigation" by the council's enforcement department.

"Engagement has already been initiated with relevant parties with a view to progressing the matter and achieving a satisfactory resolution," Mr Kehoe told the elected members.

"Arrangements for access to the site in question have been sought and are currently being finalised, and it is also understood that the Department of Justice has recently secured a licence to allow remediation works to commence on the site."

Cllr Frankie Keena said that, following the success of the High Court action, it was always the intention of the councillors involved to "seek complete remediation works on the site to return it to its original status".

He said the site had been left "in a deplorable condition in complete view of a major multi -national company, the Department of Education, and the general public."

He added: "Now that the Department of Justice has secured a licence for this remediation work, I would hope that they would start this work soon.

"This will be closely monitored to make sure a satisfactory outcome is reached," Cllr Keena said.