Motion passed in Kilkenny demanding withdrawal of IPAS 'planning exemptions'

A motion seeking to pressurise the government to withdraw 'planning exemptions' for IPAS accommodation sailed through the plenary meeting of Kilkenny County Council on Monday.

Independent councillor Maurice Shortall secured unanimous backing for the motion - instructing the local authority to write to Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan and Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne, seeking to ‘withdraw all planning exemptions for properties accommodating International Protection Applicants’.

The motion continued, “This will ensure that all properties go through the normal planning process.”

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It also asked that ‘the Community Engagement Team communicate with communities prior to signing of contracts for International Protection accommodation which will allow for full community engagement’.

Putting the motion before elected members, Cllr Shortall called ‘for a fair and balanced system for all’.

He told colleagues that many constituents were unhappy with the current planning regime and stressed the proposal is ‘not targeted at immigrants’.

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Cllr Shortall’s motion was seconded by fellow independent councillor Eugene McGuinness.

“All these measures have done is benefitted the bottom feeders of the business world,” Cllr McGuinness said.

Agreement also came from Cllr Michael Doyle (Fine Gael) and Cllr Joe Malone (Fianna Fáil).

With no objections raised, the motion passed unanimously.

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As it stands, statutory instruments have been introduced by government to provide temporary exemptions for emergency accommodation for displaced persons.

There is no provision within these statutory instruments for the public to make submissions or for public consultation, and they remove developer proposals from the scope of the county development plan.

Supporters of the motion argue that restoring the full planning process would rebuild trust and give local people a voice before deals are signed.

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