Ballina IPAS centre proposal is rejected
Formerly St Mary's Secondary School, McDermott Street, Ballina.
Senator Mark Duffy has confirmed this evening that the proposal for an IPAS centre at the former St. Mary’s Secondary School on McDermott Street will not go ahead.
Last week, the Western People reported that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth was assessing an offer to use the former secondary school, which was sold privately last year, as accommodation for international protection applicants.
However, Senator Duffy has said that this proposal was rejected with no further new application by the owners of the former St Mary’s site.
Senator Duffy commented that although renovations are presently taking place in the building, this is the right of any property owner, but it does not imply that the department has any interest in the site.
Senator Duffy who had opposed the application in November last year has welcomed the decision to reject the proposal.
The former St Mary’s Secondary School site was used by the school until it moved into a new state-of-the-art facility nearby in September 2022. The site was then put up for sale privately last year and sold quite quickly.
A Section 5 declaration planning application was made to Mayo County Council last November by the applicant CH Care, a Dublin-based company, for the use of the former school as temporary accommodation for displaced persons seeking international protection.
The property was then declared exempt from requiring planning permission by the local authority in a letter issued on November 28 last.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has been contacted for comment.
