A ROW ERUPTED between independent politicians and protesters demonstrating outside the Dáil over the Government’s plans to purchase the Citywest Hotel in Dublin.

The state is to buy the Citywest Hotel to be used as part of the country’s immigration system, The Business Post has reported. Today, around two dozen protesters gathered outside the Dáil to protest the decision. 

Locals who protested raised concerns about losing a significant amenity in the area.

Dublin city councillors and anti-immigration activists Malachy Steenson and Gavin Pepper, who do not represent the electoral area Citywest is located in, were seen at the protest.

Independent TD for Dublin Mid-West Paul Gogarty addressed the crowd by megaphone.

During Gogarty’s speech, a row broke out between protesters, the TD and the two independent councillors. Asked if there had been confusion over how his comments were taken, Gogarty said “maybe one or two people jumped the gun there”.

Independent TD for Dublin Mid-West Paul Gogarty addresses protesters outside the Dáil. Alamy Alamy

He added: “But I felt it was important to say what I stand for first of all, which is respect towards everyone whether or not they are economic migrants, abusing the asylum system, genuine people fleeing persecution or IT professionals coming to this country.”

Bernie Cronin, from Clondalkin, said 200 people attended a meeting two weeks ago where concerns were first raised about the Government plans to buy the Citywest Hotel. 

Cronin, who is a former member of Fine Gael and a current member of Independent Ireland, said it has been the area’s “greatest amenity” for 40 years.

“If the Government buys it, it will never come back to the people of Saggart and the surrounding districts as the superb and magnificent luxury hotel that it has been for 40 years,” he said.

He said locals have “no concern” about its current use as an IPAS centre for housing asylum seekers. Cronin said there have been concerns by the group that others could “hijack what we are trying to do”.

Asked about ‘outside elements’ at the protest, Cronin said: “They don’t help us. They don’t help us and I know that’s a concern.”

“It’s not a question about race, it’s about space,” Saggart resident Susan Murphy said. “We don’t have the space, we have two shops, one chemist, one post office, no Garda station. We cannot accommodate groups and groups of people.

“If the Government buys Citywest Hotel, they have free rein to do whatever they want with all the land there, which isn’t fair on the residents here,” she added.