The Department of Justice has agreed not to use as an accommodation centre for asylum-seekers a hotel in Rosslare Harbour being picketed by locals. The Devereux Hotel is to be used as an assessment centre only, with no overnight stays by asylum-seekers, and is to be put back on the market within 18 months.
A spokesman for protesters who have blockaded the hotel for the past eight months said they were "absolutely delighted" with the terms of the agreement reached with the Department.
The agreement, to be signed in the next couple of days, was announced by the Wexford-based Minister of State, Mr Hugh Byrne, who was involved in protracted negotiations between the protesters and the Directorate for Asylum Support Services.
Mr Byrne said the premises would be used as an assessment centre for people entering the port at Rosslare Harbour "and no one else".
In addition, said Mr Byrne, a local monitoring committee is to be put in place to keep the operation of the centre under review.
"I am pleased that this arrangement has been made. I know that the local community have felt very aggrieved at the lack of consultation prior to the purchase of the property," he said.
The protesters' spokesman, Mr David Kinsella, said they were "very happy" with the outcome. He declined to call the agreement a victory for the protesters but said it was perhaps a "compromise victory".
He said the picket would be lifted as soon as the agreement was "signed and sealed".
The 25-bedroom hotel was purchased by the State for nearly £2 million at the end of March, with the intention that it would be used as a "reception centre" for up to 60 asylum-seekers at a time. They would remain there for up to two weeks before dispersal to accommodation centres. Locals expressed outrage at the proposal at public meetings in early April and began a daily 24hour picket.
The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr O'Donoghue, told the Dail last week that, because of the protest, it had not been possible to bring the hotel into use.
