Madam, – I refer to your excellent article (Jamie Smyth, Weekend Review, August 28th) regarding centres used to house asylum seekers.
I have researched the entire list of 52 Reception and Integration Agency centres and I am unable to find one single centre which has the benefit of planning permission for a change of use to a hostel wherein care is provided.
Planning permission for such a change of use is indeed necessary and is not exempted development. The questions as to whether a change of use from a medical centre, a former Garda station, a hotel and a guesthouse-hostel to a hostel wherein care is provided have all been the subject of separate Section 5 determinations/ referrals by me under the Planning and Development Act 2000. That the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform continues to fund unauthorised use is nothing short of amazing.
Under the 2000 Act it is open to anyone, without demonstration of locus standi, to seek such a determination/referral. Wouldn't it be very interesting if a resident of Mosney were to seek such a determination about his new abode in Hatch Hall, Dublin? An application for a determination takes only four weeks. – Yours, etc,