Statement from Minister Peter Burke on Coole

Minister Peter Burke issued this statement at 1.15pm today.

I have been linked in with community in Coole over the last number of months and have met with the group, both in Coole and in my office, and listened to their concerns.

I would acknowledge that there were 98 International Protection applicants who moved into Coole Court, a renovated section of the former St Joseph’s Orthopaedic Hospital, last October and there have been no issues.

When I heard that further works were being carried by the developer in Coole last month, I spoke to Minister O’Gorman and his officials about the concerns of the community.

In a very rural village with a small population, it was my view that it would be disproportionate to plan to move further people to the area, considering that there were already 98 people located here earlier in the year.

There had been no engagement with the community and no local information available, which created a vacuum.

Minister O’Gorman informed me that the department had no further contract in place in Coole and had no knowledge as to why the developer was carrying out works. All modular homes for International Protection Applicants require planning permission, and I raised the potential of illegal development with Westmeath County Council at this juncture, who advised any development here would be illegal. I informed the community of same, as well as the local media.

I was contacted in the early hours of this morning with reports of cranes being moved into Coole to transport large modular homes. I was back in touch directly with the Minister, who is in Brussels, and spoke to him and subsequently to his officials.

It remains the case, and the Department have advised me of this in writing (attached), that the Government has no role nor knowledge of the movement of modular homes today. There is no contract between IPAS and the developer in relation to this development. The Department has reverted to the developer to clarify this again.

I am meeting with locals in Coole shortly to advise of same.