Louth Fine Gael TD clashes with minister of D Hotel plans

The Minister for Integration has clashed with a coalition colleague during heated Dáil exchanges over the use of the D Hotel in Drogheda, Co Louth to house migrants.

“You’re taking from us our only hotel – that’s the key point,” Fergus O’Dowd, Fine Gael TD for Louth, told the Green Party minister, Roderic O’Gorman.

“Leave the hotel to the people. Leave the hotel to tourism,” he urged. “Bad business – bad minister – bad Government business!”

The decision to take over the hotel was made unilaterally by the minister, who must be held accountable for it, the deputy insisted.

Mr O’Dowd claimed that no revised fire safety certification had been approved by the local authority – as the minister himself said was required before the hotel could be used to house migrants.

“You signed a contract without a fire certificate,” Mr O’Dowd told the minister, who he accused of having created a controversy out of this “hugely important issue” for local people by failing to get an up-to-date certificate.

“You can shake your head if you want – the fact is you didn’t do it. You didn’t do it!” Mr O’Dowd said, visibly agitated.

“My department has no option but to use all offers of accommodation,” Minister O’Gorman responded, noting the large number of people seeking refuge in Ireland.

His officials sought evidence from the owners of the D Hotel of fire safety compliance once it was offered to house migrants.

“That evidence was duly produced,” Minister O’Gorman said.

“The provider’s fire safety expert has confirmed that the building’s fire safety cert is fully compliant for the use of the hotel bedrooms.”

No decision has been made as to whether the hotel will continue to house guests, he added, but noted “there is a challenge” in that regard.

“The vast majority of the anger on this is in terms of the removal of tourist beds,” Minister O’Gorman acknowledged.