Alma Gallagher welcomes Mayo Council review of Ballyhaunis IPAS centre plan

Cllr Alma Gallagher has confirmed that Mayo County Council has identified significant deficiencies in a planning application for a proposed new International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centre in Ballyhaunis and has requested extensive further information before progressing the application.

The proposed development, submitted by Bridgestock Care Ltd, seeks permission to construct 32 accommodation units. Mayo County Council has confirmed that consideration of the application has been deferred pending receipt of additional details.

Local councillor Alma Gallagher said the council’s response reflects concerns raised by residents since the proposal was first made public.

“The Planning Authority has now confirmed what residents have been saying from the outset; this application is fundamentally deficient and raises very serious planning concerns,” she said.

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Cllr Gallagher also stated that she met Minister of State Colm Brophy in Leinster House in December, during which she said the minister confirmed that there is currently no contract, agreement or communication between the Department and the developer regarding the proposed centre.

“This is the critical issue,” Cllr Gallagher said.“A planning application of this scale is being advanced without any confirmed State requirement. That alone should give serious pause for thought.”

The councillor also noted that the proposal involves a new-build development and therefore does not fall under Section 5 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, which applies to limited categories of exempted development. As a result, the application must proceed through the full planning process.

A submission objecting to the development was lodged with the Planning Section of Mayo County Council by Ballyhaunis Chamber of Commerce, with support from residents and local businesses. The submission was coordinated by the Chamber and submitted by Cllr Gallagher and Anne Cunnane, chief executive of the Chamber.

At a national level, figures published by the Department of Justice show a decline in international protection applications, with a reported 43% reduction in the first four months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.

Cllr Gallagher reaffirmed her long-standing commitment to positive, sustainable development in the town.

“I have fought tooth and nail for the Primary Health Care Centre, Phase 2 of the Abbeyquarter Local Authority Housing Scheme, pre-development work on the Scouts Den, and the reassessment of Mayo County Council’s regeneration and retrofit programme to bring vacant commercial buildings back into residential use.” she said.

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