Saggart Community Council

13/06/2026

CityWest now the International Protection Office (IPO)
One of the IPAS House Rules states:

“You must not consume or store alcohol or illegal drugs in the centre. Persons under the influence of alcohol, non-prescription drugs or substances which affects their behaviour will not be permitted onsite.”

A simple question for Government:

If someone is refused entry back into the centre because they are under the influence, where exactly are they expected to go?

If they cannot return to the accommodation centre, does that mean they remain in the surrounding community until the issue is resolved? Who is responsible for managing that situation?

Is this fair on local residents? Is it fair on local businesses? Is it fair on already under-resourced Gardaí who are expected to deal with the consequences?

These are practical questions that deserve clear answers, particularly in a community hosting one of the largest international protection facilities in the State.

Residents are entitled to know what procedures are in place, who is accountable, and how the impact on the local community is being managed.

https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/1142f0a7/IPAS_House_Rules_June_2026.pdf

12/06/2026

How Much More Is Our Community Expected to Carry?

Today, residents finally received a CET update confirming a major change at Citywest.

But the truth is, this is not how the community first found out.

Residents had already discovered that international protection application processing had moved to Citywest before this document was sent to us. After all the assurances about meaningful and up-to-date communication through the CET, that is simply not good enough.

This is not a small change.

Citywest is now being used as a national reception and processing centre for international protection applications. People will now attend Citywest to make applications, be screened, assessed, and in some cases stay there during the border procedure.

That means our local area , Saggart, Citywest and Rathcoole and Newcastle, is being expected to carry the impact of a major State-run asylum processing hub.

The Department says capacity will not increase, but that does not answer the real concern. Capacity is not the same as impact.

What about the pressure on our roads, buses, schools, GP services, emergency services, Garda resources, local shops, parks and community facilities?

What about the safety concerns residents have raised again and again?

What about the effect this has on a small village community that already feels completely overwhelmed and ignored?

Citywest is now State-owned and appears to be the largest IPAS centre in the country. Yet it still has not been officially designated as such.

Why?

If this is now confirmed as the State’s reception and processing centre, why is it not being formally designated so there can be proper oversight, inspection and accountability?

It is not enough for Government to say in FOI replies or PQ responses that oversight exists.

Where are the published inspection reports for the Citywest Hotel?

Where are the published inspection reports for the Citywest Convention Centre?

If those reports exist, why are they not being published in the same way reports are published for designated centres?

A facility of this scale should not be operating on assurances and vague statements. Oversight should be visible. Inspection reports should be published. Accountability should be clear.

There is still no published host-community impact assessment.

No traffic assessment.

No school-capacity assessment.

No health-service capacity assessment.

No clear Garda resourcing plan.

No published safety plan for the surrounding community.

And still no clear answer to the most basic question:

Who in Government is actually responsible for monitoring and reporting on the impact of Citywest on Saggart, Citywest, Rathcoole and the wider area?

Residents are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for fairness, transparency and basic respect.

Meaningful engagement means telling a community before major changes happen. Not leaving residents to discover them first and then informing us afterwards.

We will not stop asking these questions.

We want answers.

We want a safe community.

We want proper services.

We want Government accountability.

Our community deserves better.

11/06/2026

More needs to be done to ensure the protection and regeneration of Swiftbrook Paper Mills in Saggart, as well as greater attention given to the potential “tourism value” of the site. Within the former Swiftbrook Mills site, stand three buildings that are classed as protected structures by the co...

11/06/2026

09/06/2026

📢 Citywest & Saggart Residents – Please Take a Moment to Have Your Say.

With the proposed rezoning of lands in the Citywest/Saggart area due to be voted on by South Dublin County Councillors on 19th June, I wanted to remind people that there is still time to contact local councillors and share your views.

A lot of discussion has taken place around this proposal, particularly regarding whether the infrastructure currently serving the area is capable of supporting further large-scale development. Concerns have been raised about schools, transport, sports facilities, healthcare services, community amenities and public open spaces.
Whether you support the rezoning, oppose it, or simply want to see guarantees that infrastructure will be delivered alongside development, now is the time to make your voice heard.

If you're planning to contact councillors, you can write your own email or use something similar to the example below:

Dear Councillor,

As a resident of the Citywest/Saggart area, I am writing regarding the proposed rezoning currently under consideration.
I would ask that the impact on local infrastructure and services be fully considered before any decision is made.

Schools, transport networks, community facilities, sports amenities and public services are already under pressure, and it is important that any future growth is matched by the necessary investment in these areas.

I respectfully ask that these concerns be taken into account when the proposal comes before Council for a vote.
Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Name:
Address:

📧 [email protected]
📧 [email protected]

28/05/2026

Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the family, friends, and especially the two young children of the woman who tragically lost her life in Clifden. No family should ever have to go through something so devastating.

This tragedy has raised real concerns about the safety and protection of vulnerable women and children in our society, including those living in State-funded accommodation. Where there have been previous allegations or concerns about violence, people need to know that proper safeguarding, monitoring, and risk-management measures are actually in place.

Nobody wants to be left saying “we told you so” after something terrible has happened. These are real people’s lives. Safety concerns need to be taken seriously before tragedy strikes, not afterwards.

Residents are calling on the State to put proper safety, security, safeguarding, and risk-management measures in place now, so vulnerable women, children, and out local communities are better protected, and tragedies like these can be prevented wherever possible.

27/05/2026

CityWest. State-Owned, Undesignated, no inspections.
And Still No Straight Answers.

We are tired of the misinformation, omissions and carefully worded responses being given to the public regarding Citywest Campus. Particularly when those statements are made in Dáil Éireann itself.

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2026-05-20/197/

The Minister’s recent reply regarding inspection and oversight at Citywest gives the clear impression that the site falls under the same inspection regime as other IPAS accommodation centres. However, published inspection records and FOI material indicate otherwise.

The State-owned Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre do not appear to have published HIQA or IPAS inspection reports, despite being the largest non-designated IPAS accommodation facility in the country. In contrast, inspection records do exist for the privately owned CityArk facility located on the same campus.

This distinction has been raised repeatedly with the Community Engagement Team (CET), and documentary evidence was provided. Yet the Minister still delivered a Dáil response which failed to address the central issue: whether the State-owned Citywest accommodation complex is formally designated, who is responsible for oversight, and what inspection regime actually applies.

Citizens are entitled to ask a very simple question:
How can the public maintain trust in information provided by elected representatives if statements made in the Dáil do not accurately reflect the documented position?

We are also forced to ask:
Where is the engagement between the Minister and the Community Engagement Team?

If this information was never passed on to the Minister despite repeated engagement and supporting documentation, then serious questions arise regarding the effectiveness and accountability of the CET itself.

If the information was passed on, then why was a generalised answer given in response to parliamentary questions clearly relating to Citywest Campus specifically?

The public deserves clarity, transparency and accountability, not vague references to generic national policies while obvious site-specific questions remain unanswered.

Citywest is now a permanent State-owned facility operating at a scale unmatched anywhere else in the IPAS system. It cannot continue to exist in a grey area where responsibility, inspection, designation and oversight remain unclear while the public is repeatedly assured that “appropriate arrangements” are in place.

The Government must now clearly state:

whether the State-owned Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre are formally designated IPAS accommodation centres;

whether HIQA currently has any statutory remit over those facilities;

what inspections have actually taken place since State acquisition;

why those reports are not publicly available if they exist; and

who holds legal and operational responsibility for safeguarding, compliance and duty of care across the wider campus.

The people living beside this facility, working within it, and affected by its operation are entitled to truthful and precise answers.

26/05/2026

COMMUNITY UPDATE

Saggart Community Council continues to meet with local TDs regarding ongoing concerns in the area, particularly antisocial behaviour, public drinking, and drug use around Saggart Village and the Millrace Ponds area.

With the Citywest IPAS centre due to become a processing centre from 12 June, and with residents expected to remain there for periods of 8–12 weeks before being moved to alternative accommodation, the concerns of Saggart residents and the wider local community must be fully considered.

We are therefore calling for updated and strengthened house rules that will help ensure proper management within the centre, promote respectful behaviour, protect community safety, and reduce the ongoing pressures and incidents of antisocial behaviour being experienced in Saggart and the surrounding areas.

We are also advocating for improved on-site facilities within the centre, including dedicated barbecue and social areas for residents, as well as on-site shop facilities. We believe these measures would help reduce pressure on Saggart Village and contribute to minimising antisocial behaviour in the local area.

In addition, concerns have been raised regarding school capacity in Saggart, as local schools are already under pressure for places. We have asked for clarification on whether children being processed through the centre during the 8–12 week period will require local school placements.

We will continue engaging with public representatives and relevant authorities and will keep the community updated.