Citywest hotel owner received €68m to accommodate asylum seekers and Ukrainian refugees
The owner of the country’s largest hotel, Citywest received over €1.3m on average per week in 2024 for accommodating Ukrainians and International Protection (IP) applicants. Picture Colin Keegan
The owner of the country’s largest hotel, Citywest received over €1.3m on average per week in 2024 for accommodating Ukrainians and International Protection (IP) applicants.
New figures show that the €68.27m (including vat) was paid out to Cape Wrath UC, which is owned by investment group Tetrarch Capital and runs the 764-bed Citywest Hotel and convention centre in Saggart, Co Dublin. This represents a 27% increase on the €53.7m paid out to the hotel firm in 2023.
New quarterly figures published by the dept of children, equality, disability, integration and youth show that the overall spend on accommodation for IP applicants and Ukrainians totalled €1.84bn for 2024. The outlay equates to a daily average spend of €5m across 2024.
However, the overall spend in accommodating Ukrainians and IP applicants was down sharply on 2023. The €1.84bn spent last year compared to €2.13bn in 2023 - a drop of €290m.
The biggest factor in the decrease was the 43% or €648m reduction in the Ukrainian accommodation bill. Last year it totaled €842m, compared to €1.49bn in 2023.
The spend on accommodating IP applicants was €1bn last year after paying out €280m in the final quarter. The €1bn spend was a 54% increase on the €651.75m paid out in 2023.
The most recent figures show that there were 33,006 IP applicants on March 9th which was a 25% increase on the 26,279 IP applicants at the end of December 2023. The figures show that for the fourth quarter of 2024, Cape Wrath UC received €18m for the three months.
Rosemount Guest House in Co Kerry, owned by independent TD and minister of state Michael Healy Rae received €24,280 for the final quarter. This brings to €1.22m the amount Rosemount Guest House has received over two years and three months from the department for accommodating Ukrainians.
The detailed figures show that the entity to receive the second highest amount in the quarter for accommodating IP applicants and Ukrainians is IGO Emergency Management Services which received €12.46m and this followed €14.6m paid out to the firm in the third quarter.
The figures show that the operator of the Red Cow hotel, Guestford, received €8.56m for the final quarter while Travelodge Hotels received €11m for the same three-month period.
Holiday Inn Dublin Airport received €8m for the three-month period.
TIFCO owns the Travelodge business here and TIFCO received €6.9m for housing IP applicants for the fourth quarter.
Plans to accommodate IP applicants at the D Hotel in Drogheda were a source of controversy in 2024. The new figures show that the owners received payments of €7.7m for the final quarter.
The figures also show that Tirawley Ltd trading at Breaffy House Resort in Co Mayo received €5.56m in the fourth quarter for accommodating Ukrainians and IP applicants.
A company controlled by former Monaghan GAA football manager, Seamus ‘Banty’ McEnaney, Brimwood UC received €3.5m for the quarter in addition to the €50.4m the company has received in the prior seven quarters.
The figures also show that Dublin firm, Winward Management Ltd owned by hotelier Patrick Coyle, received €5.9m for accommodating Ukrainians in the final quarter.
Mosney Holidays plc received €9.5m for accommodating IP applicants in the final quarter. Security firm Allpro Security Services received payments of €6.1m after receiving €15m in the prior two quarters.
