"A very positive step": Athlone councillors react as Government concedes High Court case

Three of the Athlone councillors who brought a High Court challenge over the controversial 1,000-person asylum seeker centre in Lissywollen have given their reactions to today's news that the Government conceded the case ahead of a planned hearing this Thursday.

"We believe this to be a very positive step forward," said Cllr Paul Hogan, who was the plaintiff in the legal action brought on behalf of himself, Cllr Frankie Keena, Cllr Aengus O'Rourke, Cllr John Dolan, and now-TD Kevin 'Boxer' Moran.

As reported here, at the High Court today Mr Justice Richard Humphreys was told that the councillors' legal challenge to the new accommodation was "being conceded" by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability and Youth, Roderic O'Gorman, and that "the development will be classified as an unauthorised development".

Speaking to the Westmeath Independent, Cllr Hogan said: "We obviously have to work through finer details over the coming days, in terms of today's decision, but it is a very significant step forward and a vindication for myself, the other members, and the local community who have supported us in terms of the significant environmental concerns we had in relation to this site."

The case is again listed for mention at the High Court on Thursday, but Cllr Hogan and his colleagues said they wanted the site of the new accommodation -- into which 92 men were moved earlier this month -- to be returned to a greenfield site.

"Obviously we want to see the site returned to the way that it was, and we want to work through the finer detail in relation to that. But today's decision by the State to concede is certainly a very significant step towards that," said the Independent Ireland representative.

Cllr Hogan expressed his thanks to the Dublin-based legal team which brought the case, PB Cunningham & Company, and senior counsel Oisin Collins.

Cllr Aengus O'Rourke said today's development showed that the immigration system operated by the previous Government was "utterly dysfunctional" and that it badly needs to be overhauled.

"What today indicates is that Roderic O'Gorman and his Department have really been operating a dysfunctional system, in terms of how it deals with immigration in this country. It needs a root-and-branch review," said the Fianna Fáil councillor and Seanad candidate.

"Thankfully we are at Government formation talks at this stage and this should, I hope, send a very loud message to Government that an absolutely different approach needs to be taken, one that takes on board the views of the locals, the the views of the locally elected representatives, and one which doesn't attempt to run roughshod across a community again.

"I hope our case might be the final straw that breaks the camel's back in this regard - that the State will finally sit up and approach this in a different way."

He said the point had been made to him that the 1,000 men due to be accommodated in Athlone would now need to be accommodated elsewhere. But he said that if 100 men were accommodated in ten different areas, it would give each of those communities a better chance to integrate them properly.

"We all understand our obligations in relation to integration, but shoehorning 2,000 men, or whatever it might be, into a community couldn't work and wouldn't work. It would be a disaster," he said.

Athlone's Mayor, Cllr Frankie Keena (FF) said he was "delighted" the Minister was conceding the High Court case.

"It is a significant step forward for us. It is a first step, but a positive step," said Cllr Keena.

"We'll go through the finer details of the decision taken today, and fingers crossed there won't be anything further taken in any regard by the State."

He expressed his gratitude to those who have supported the Go Fund Me appeal to pay the councillors' legal costs in the case. At the time of writing, on Monday night, the fundraising page had raised €50,455 from 964 donations.

"I want to thank the wider community and the local businesses who supported our GoFundMe appeal on this. The amount raised is really overwhelming, and we really appreciate the generosity of the public," said Cllr Keena.

"Without that support, we wouldn't be in a position to take this case. We would ask people to continue to share the link, because we don't know what's still in front of us in relation to this.

"But today is a positive step and we want to compliment our legal team. We really appreciate the support that they've given us."

The Athlone Mayor reiterated that he and his council colleagues want to see the land used for the accommodation development, where significant work has been carried out in recent months, returned to its previous condition.

"We want the site to be returned to a greenfield site, and we'll be looking for that to happen," he said.