Taxpayers to shell out €4m for empty hotel

TAXPAYERS will have to pay €4 million for a hotel which has been unoccupied since it was purchased by the State four-and-a-half years ago to be used as an asylum seeker centre.

The hotel has remained unused since it was bought by the State in October 2000 for €3,549,711. And over €650,000 has been spent on security and maintenance at the Co Cork hotel.

An angry county councillor yesterday called on the Government to immediately sell the property in Macroom and stop its waste of taxpayers' money.