An Bord Pleanála has issued a decision stating that the Lismore House Hotel in Waterford – which has been used since early 2023 as an accommodation centre for persons claiming International Protection, despite large protests – is not an exempted development under Section 57 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.
Section 57 only allows an exemption to permit the carrying out of works on a protected structure if such works would not materially affect the character of the structure, or any element of the structure which contributes to its special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest.
In the January 23rd decision, An Bord Pleanála did find that the proposal for the “temporary change of use from hotel to accommodation for international protection applicants would constitute exempt development and would fall within the scope of Class 14 and Class 20F of Schedule 2 of Part 1 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (as amended).”
However, it rejected the other exemption at the Lismore House Hotel on the grounds that the owners of the hotel were effectively proposing a new development which would impact on the particular features of what is a designated Protected Structure:
As an Bord Pleanála stated: the owner/occupiers had failed to demonstrate that carrying out works to facilitate temporary accommodation for asylum seekers does not materially affect the character of the historical building.
It is unclear whether the hotel can or will continue to operate as an IPAS centre but as of Saturday morning the IPAS residents were still there. It is also unclear if any works that have been carried out have been in breach of planning guidelines as they apply to protected buildings.
People in the town who are opposed to the centre intend to bring the decision to wider public attention – and they are pressing the authorities to clarify whether in fact the hotel can continue to be used in this way given the planning decision.
Lismore resident Pat Gibney had asked An Bord Pleanála in June 2023 to review the decision of Waterford City and County Council – on May 25 of that year – that the ongoing works at the hotel in order to make it suitable as an IPAS centre was an exempted development. The decision to open the hotel as a centre had led to large protests in the town following the announcement on January 23, 2023 that it was to open to asylum seekers at the start of February.
Pat Gibney told Gript that he is “pleased that An Bord Pleanála has agreed with my view”, but he noted that “it is two years since this saga commenced. I am disappointed that it took An Bord Pleanála 19 months to make a decision”, a delay he said that had allowed a private company to profit from the situation.
“I am also disappointed with the Government, Waterford City and County Council and our local TDs and Councillors for allowing this to happen. If Waterford City and County Council fail to move with immediate enforcement action, I will be left with no alternative but to proceed with other avenues,” he said.
People in Lismore were particularly disappointed with the use of the hotel as an IPAS centre as there had been great expectations that the hotel – which had closed in 2016 but had been an hotel since the year before the 1798 Rebellion – would reopen as promised as a hospitality centre. That had been the stated intention of the previous owners. The hotel, it was hoped, would not only provide a location for weddings and other events but would boost the numbers of visitors to the town.
The hotel was placed on the market at the end of 2017 with a guide price of €1.5 million. The hotel had been owned by the Nolan family from Wexford who also own the well-known haulage company Nolan Transport. They had been taken to court by Allied Irish Banks over €23 million in loans that had been used to develop Lismore House and another hotel they owned.
The hotel was bought by a company called MCHT in 2021. This is a rather interesting company as it is now officially registered with the Companies Registration Office (CRO) as Lore Prop Co Limited which has an address in Killarney. The owners of MCHT Lismore registered the change of name on December 5 last on the same day they changed the name of several other companies of which they are directors but whose shareholding information is not available from the CRO.
Rialto Temporary Accommodation changed its name on December 5 to Cinema Opp Co Ltd which is owned by Peter and Sandra Dunlea who now own Lore Prop. Rialto Temporary Accommodation was stated to be involved in hotels and other accommodation.
MCHT was only set up in June 2021 and in June 2022 registered a mortgage debenture over the hotel with Courtstown Island Enterprises Unlimited with an address in Cork. The owners of that finance company David and Mary O’Regan were directors of MCHT Lismore/Lore Prop until June 30, 22 the day on which the mortgage charge was registered.
MCHT Unlimited had applied for planning permission on December 17, 2021 for works on the hotel to change part of it from a nightclub to café or retail. That application was later withdrawn on January 18, 2023 by which stage the new owners had applied to open the hotel as an IPAS centre with the sought exemptions.
It would seem that the O’Regans owned that company when it bought Lismore House Hotel. That was through Midnight Canter Holdings which the O’Regans wholly own. Peter and Sandra Dunlea through Petecon replaced the O’Regans as the owners of MCHT/Lore Prop and hence of the Lismore House on July 1, 2022. That was the day after the mortgage charge was registered.
MCHT Unlimited with an address in Cork City is the company named on the mortgage debenture. It has changed its name to Lore Prop. Lore Prop is wholly owned by Petecon Holdings which is wholly owned by Peter Dunlea who is a director of more than 40 other companies.
MCHT Limited is the name on the cheques and since they received their first payment on February 9, 2023, and up to the end of September last year, they have pocketed just under €6 million from the taxpayer for asylum accommodation. The beginning of the payments led to €375,875 profits for the first half of 2023 when they reported total fixed assets of €3,902,804 compared to €1,900,602 in 2022. The change in fortunes was presumably largely accounted for by the acquisition of Lismore House. They will have more than recouped the sale price of the hotel by now.
Dunlea and his wife Sandra (nee Quill) are well known business people in Killarney and are the sole directors of Petecon Holdings. They have mostly been involved in the operation of restaurants and other food and hospitality facilities but, in common with others, have obviously realised the far greater potential and profitability of the asylum accommodation sector.