Following reports of antisocial behaviour, Ballinrobe’s Railway Inn will no longer be used for emergency accommodation for homeless people by Mayo County Council. However, in a bizarre twist, the hotel’s private owners have agreed to allow Roscommon County Council to use the property for the same purpose.

Before pulling out, Mayo County Council had housed around 25 homeless people at The Railway Inn.

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Before it stopped operating as a commercial enterprise in recent years, the 24-bedroom Railway Inn had been one of the last functioning hotels in Ballinrobe.

In communication sent to The Mayo News, Tom Gilligan, Mayo County Council’s Director of Services for Housing, explained the decision to cease using the hotel was taken following ‘ongoing reports of significant disturbances and antisocial behaviour’ associated with the facility and after ‘close consultation’ with local councillors.

“It has become clear that the continued use of this facility for emergency accommodation is no longer viable,” he wrote.

“In light of these concerns and with a focus on ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the community and those in our care, it has been decided to discontinue the Railway Inn as an emergency accommodation location. Alternative arrangements are to be made for current residents. This decision takes effect immediately.”

‘NO REGARD FOR PEOPLE’

CLLRS Damien Ryan (Fianna Fáil) and Michael Burke (Fine Gael) met Mr Gilligan last week and ‘pleaded’ with him to end the county council’s association with the hotel.

Over the weekend it was confirmed that Mayo County Council had decided to cut ties with the hotel.

However, it later emerged that the hotel owners had entered into a separate agreement with Roscommon County Council.

Cllrs Burke and Ryan met the news with disbelief and anger. “The owner of the property is the person people need to take their anger out on,” said the councillors, who accused the owner of having ‘no regard for people in our town’.

“He has no regard for the image of the town and is only using Ballinrobe as a money maker while dragging us through the dirt,” they said in a joint statement.

“They need to house their own within their own county,” said Cllr Ryan.

Roscommon County Council did not respond to a request for comment from The Mayo News at the time of going to print.

‘UNCOMFORTABLE’

Cllr Burke has outlined his concerns in writing to Kevin Kelly, the Chief Executive of Mayo County Council.

In a statement, the Fine Gael councillor called for regular inspections at the premises, including inspections for planning compliance, fire certificates, health and safety, and standards of living conditions for tenants.

“People of Ballinrobe are really uncomfortable with the situation and will only be happy when this property is no longer used for the purpose it is currently serving,” said Cllr Burke.

“People are really concerned with the high number of antisocial-behaviour issues related to the property. People are living in fear in their own homes.

“Most of these residents are not from our area. I will keep at it, but the property is privately owned and money seems more important than being a good neighbour.”

Speaking to The Mayo News yesterday (Monday), Cllr Ryan expressed concern about Roscommon County Council potentially using the Railway Inn to accommodate homeless people. He asked the Mayo County Council Chief executive to contact the Roscommon County Council Chief Executive regarding the matter.

Meanwhile, Robeen-based Independent councillor Patsy O’Brien told The Mayo News that the use of the hotel as emergency accommodation ‘has been a concern in the town for a long time’.

Mayo County Council’s decision to discontinue the use of the hotel had been welcomed by Mayo TD Paul Lawless, who had raised the issue during his term as a county councillor.

Noting ‘serious assaults and criminal damage’ which took place in the locality in recent weeks, Deputy Lawless said that Ballinrobe ‘has paid a high price for bad policy’.

“The Government is outsourcing the provision of care to people to private accommodation providers who have no experience in the provision of such facilities. Oversight and wrap-around services have been extremely poor in Ballinrobe,” he said.

‘UNFAIR SHARE’

Local county councillors have complained about the number of people being housed in emergency accommodation in the Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District. At one point, the municipal district, which covers one-third of Mayo, was providing three-quarters of the emergency homeless accommodation in the county.

There were 187 homeless presentations to Mayo County Council last year in total. The local authority also accommodated a handful of people outside Mayo in 2024 due to the shortage of accommodation in the county.

According to a response to a notice of motion tabled by Deputy Lawless when he was a county councillor, the Railway Inn has 24 rooms in this premises and dining/common area and access to wi-fi.

Residents were subject to a curfew of 12 midnight for the common area to be vacated. New windows were installed in various parts of the building, with fire escapes on each floor.

Residents had access to a fridge, microwave, toaster, kettle with tea coffee, juice and bread freely available. The majority of the rooms are ensuite, while communal bathroom facilities were available for those not issued ensuite rooms.

Mayo County Council held regular Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Place Finder Clinics with residents in relation to moving on from emergency accommodation to a more permanent form of housing.

The clinics were facilitated by HAP Place Finder Officer and a Social Worker.

NEW STRATEGY

LAST Thursday, Mayo County Council’s Housing Special Policy Committee noted a new policy seeking to phase out the use of B&Bs and hotels as emergency accommodation.

The policy, which was formulated by Galway City Council, aims to accommodate homeless people at hubs to provide a better quality of life for residents.

Mayo County Council currently operates one such facility in Charlestown, where residents have access to cooking, play and study facilities.

Speaking at the Housing SPC, Tom Gilligan said that hotels and B&Bs were not appropriate as emergency accommodation ‘particularly for young children’.

The plan will be considered by elected councillors at the next meeting of Mayo County Council.

Cllr Harry Barrett (Independent), a member of the Housing SPC, welcomed the new strategy but said it would require ‘quite a lot of funding’ from the Government.

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