EDITORIAL: Rural hotels offer so much to communities in Tipperary

I’ve been thinking a lot about rural hotels lately, writes Aoife Sheehan.

The recent confirmation by the Department of Integration, regarding rumours that the Kilcoran Lodge Hotel was being offered as accommodation for international protection applicants, has sent shockwaves through the area. The Department is currently accessing the offer of accommodation, but if this were accepted, what would it mean for the locality?

Rural hotels like Kilcoran Lodge offer a lot to the community and while the hotel is not currently open seven days a week, many locals avail of their facilities in the leisure centre located next to the hotel. This leisure facility offers swimming lessons to children who live locally, and plays an important role in helping local kids learn this life-long skill.

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Of course we need to help house those fleeing war and persecution, but it is a pity it is often at the cost of our local hotels and amenities. If the hotel and gym were finally closed to the public, locals living in the area would have to travel to Clonmel or even Fermoy to avail of swimming lessons for their children.

It’s a pity we can’t have the best of both worlds and build accommodation specifically for IPAS centres while also keeping our local hotels and the jobs that are in them. This of course would cost a great amount of time and money so is obviously not feasible, but maybe the government should start planning for the future and do the inevitable.

The closing of the hotel would mean that 21 jobs are lost in the area, which would also be a devastating blow to the community. The location of these rural hotels as IPAS accommodation is also not sustainable, with Kilcoran Lodge being situated outside of any town on a main road. It is really only accessible via transport.

These are all things that must be considered if the hotel is accepted as accommodation for international protection applicants.

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