Tipperary IPAS residents' impact on the local economy is 'significant'

placeholder image — Roscrea town | Tamas Karpati

Contract to house IPAS residents, 85% of whom were in employment last year, is not to be renewed

The contract to continue the provision of emergency accommodation in a facility in Roscrea town centre currently occupied by almost 100 people will not be renewed.

The Department of Justice will not renew the contract for International Protection Accommodation at The White House on Castle Street in Roscrea, it was confirmed in a message sent to North Tipperary's elected representatives.

The message from the Justice Department's Community Engagement Team informed Tipperary's Councillors, Dáil and Seanad representatives that the Department has decided not to renew the contract, which is an accommodation centre for people seeking international protection.

93 residents at the centre were informed of this decision on August 13th and transfer letters will be issued to them on August 26th, the message states. There are no children resident at this centre and all residents who wish to continue to receive State-funded accommodation will be relocated to another centre by September 2nd.

"We appreciate that relocating can be very disruptive for people. International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) is in contact with residents and centre management to keep them informed of relocation plans and to offer support," the message sent to elected representatives states.

"In providing accommodation to people seeking international protection, the Department of Justice prioritises resident’s welfare and safety. Compliance with all statutory and regulatory standards is the responsibility of the provider with the relevant oversight authority.

"If a contract renewal is being considered, the Department carries out inspections to ensure contractual compliance. Contracts for IPAS accommodation can be terminated or not renewed for various reasons including when a provider chooses to end a contract or compliance concerns exist, or rates cannot be agreed," the message states.

The most recently published inspection report for the centre reports that in the April visit, that the staff were friendly, but that fire safety was a “major concern”.

Four houses were found to have no fire detection systems. At the time, the manager had “given assurances that [these concerns] will be rectified within the coming days”.

The same inspection raised concerns with evidence of residents cooking in their rooms, and also with mould issues, and that residents needed better storage and wardrobes.

There was no evidence of overcrowding in the April visit as most residents were out working at the time. An earlier February 2025 inspection found the centre to be a “very well-managed facility”.

At that time 85% of the residents were working, mostly in local manufacturing facilities and “their impact on the local economy is significant”.

The Community Engagement Team thanked colleagues in the Local Government Management Agency and Tipperary County Council, local representatives and stakeholders, for their support for the residents and operation of this centre during its time in use.