Mayo councillor wants planning exceptions for refugee centres to be scrapped

A MAYO Fine Gael councillor has called for a planning regulation which permits the construction of accommodation centres for refugees without planning permission to be immediately revoked.

Planning regulations which were introduced in 2022 to fast-track accommodation for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine remain in place despite the fact they were only meant to be in place for one year.

The regulations were extended by three years by the Minister for Housing and speaking at the monthly meeting of the Ballina Municipal District, Cllr Jarlath Munnelly said that the regulation makes a mockery of the planning laws and should be revoked immediately.

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“If you want to turn your building into accommodation for accommodating refugees or whoever they are, you should still have to get planning permission in the same way as a person who wants to build a house or change the use from a shop to a house. You still have one law for one and another for others and it is allowing for uncontrolled speculation and for people to make a quick buck out of other people's misery,” he claimed.

The Killala-based councillor raised the matter during a discussion surrounding the future of the old St Mary's Secondary School in Ballina which had previously been proposed as an IPAS centre for refugees. Local councillors expressed concern that development was taking place on the site without planning permission and Cllr Munnelly said these temporary planning regulations were not helping matters.

“It is still a temporary provision but how long will it be a temporary provision for. It is making a mockery of the planning laws when loads of people have difficulties getting planning and yet these people can work away under the guise of providing accommodation for displaced people. That is adding to the ill feeling to be honest with you,” he said.

Cllr Munnelly suggested that the municipal district should write to the Minister of Housing calling for the regulations to be immediately revoked and the motion was supported by his party colleague, Cllr John O'Hara.