A legal challenge to temporary accommodation for 1,000 asylum seekers backed by incoming Longford-Westmeath TD Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran is set for a High Court hearing this week.
The former minister of State, who is part of a group of TDs whose names have been linked to potentially supporting or taking roles in the incoming government, is among a group of councillors seeking to halt the expansion of an existing direct provision centre at Lissywollen, Athlone, Co Westmeath.
Mr Moran, along with Fianna Fáil’s Frankie Keena and Aengus O’Rourke, Independent Ireland’s Paul Hogan and Fine Gael’s John Dolan, have raised concerns about the expansion.
High Court proceedings have been initiated in Mr Hogan’s name, although Mr O’Rourke and Mr Dolan confirmed that all five Athlone-based councillors are supporting their colleague in the action.
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A public GoFundMe page set up to meet the costs of taking the case had raised almost half of its €100,000 target by Friday evening.
Work has been under way to develop the site since early October, and an initial group of 92 international protection applicants arrived at the centre on December 4th. The Department of Integration said works undertaken to date including the provision of tents and support services for catering, sanitary services and other supports.
The same legal team due to represent Mr Hogan recently took a case opposing the creation of an International Protection Accommodation Service centre at the Thornton Hall site in Dublin. Work there was halted following a legal challenge from residents.
Mr Moran did not respond to requests for comment on Friday.
Mr O’Rourke said that no demand had been placed on Mr Moran by his colleagues on the council to pursue the cancellation of the project as part of his involvement in ongoing talks on government formation.
“There’s a High Court case next Thursday and we’re committed to following through, and each five of us is committed to following through,” Mr O’Rourke told The Irish Times. The proceedings are to seek an injunction preventing development and a judicial review.
The Fianna Fáil councillor said the council had used powers dating back to the late 1940s to place a prohibition order on the development, which allows the council to do so under sanitary services legislation.
Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman has written to Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien asking him to annul the order.
The Department of Integration said it could not comment on legal proceedings with matters still before the court.
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