Future of Athlone asylum seeker centre uncertain as High Court case is adjourned again
A High Court case over the controversial development of a centre designed to provide temporarary accommodation to up to 1,000 male asylum seekers at Lissywollen, Athlone, has again been adjourned today (Monday).
A group of Athlone councillors is seeking to quash the Ministerial order issued by then-Minister Roderic O'Gorman last October for the establishment of the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centre in Athlone.
The legal challenge, being brought by Cllr Paul Hogan on behalf of himself and his fellow councillors Frankie Keena, Aengus O'Rourke and John Dolan, is being taken on environmental grounds.
At previous hearings, legal representatives for the State conceded the councillors' challenge as well as legal costs in the case.
However, a final decision on the future of the site remains up in the air.
At present there are around 180 residents at the centre, but Judge Richard Humphreys previously granted a request that no further works to expand the site could take place, apart from "urgent" maintenance works.
At a hearing in the High Court today (Monday), the Athlone councillors' legal team said they received correspondence from the Minister last Thursday in relation to the case, followed by an affidavit from the Minister on Friday evening.
The court was told that the Minister is seeking a stay on any order made by the court.
Cllr Hogan's counsel said they would need extra time to reply to the Minister's affidavit, adding that the case requires "urgent rectification and conclusion".
Aoife Carroll, senior counsel for the State, apologised for the "lateness" of the affidavit on Friday.
Judge Richard Humphreys said, given the latest development, it would be "premature" to set a hearing date in the case.
"I don't want to have this argument every week," he said of the latest delay.
Justice Humphreys listed the case for mention on March 24, in order to give both sides time to submit relevant statements.
Last month, the judge pushed back a decision on the site's future for a second time due to the fact that responsibility for international protection was moving from the Department of Children and Integration back to the Department of Justice.
At that previous hearing, on January 27, the judge was told that officials responsible for the international protection system within the Department of Children, Equality, Disability and Youth were being moved to another department.
One of the local councillors involved in the case, Aengus O'Rourke, last month expressed the hope that the case would be heard in full when it came before the High Court on today's date.
However, that has not happened, and the wait goes on for a resolution of the court action.