Paul Hosford: You can't always buy your way out of a sticky situation

The Government's plan to buy a hotel in Roscrea is a bit like buying a CD just to get away from a persistent street vendor

The Government has agreed in principle to buy Grants Hotel on Castle St in Roscrea. It was most recently known as the Damer Court Hotel until it closed in 2013. 

Many of us have been there. You’re cornered by a salesperson and when your arguments have failed, you might come to the conclusion that buying what they’re selling may be the only solution.

Many years ago, a friend and I found ourselves in such a predicament, pinned down by a New York City rapper by the name of Franchize who was hawking his CDs outside of a Barnes and Noble on Fifth Avenue. Ensnared by his spiel and unable to make an exit, we each concluded that a purchase was the only way to extricate ourselves from the encounter.

While the situation is not exactly comparable, the Government this week appeared to have a similar experience and ended up buying a hotel.

The commitment to purchase the former Grant’s Hotel in the centre of Roscrea was given “in principle” to local Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill who had suggested it as a solution to the impasse at the Racket Hall Hotel on the outskirts of the town, where 160 Ukrainian people are due to be housed. 

Scuffles had broken out on Monday and a man was arrested amid clashes between protesters who attempted to blockade the entry of 17 asylum seekers — men, women, and children — and public order gardaí.

Mr Cahill and local councillor Michael Smith had made the suggestion to Department of Integration officials on Tuesday, and the TD was told that evening that the hotel would be purchased for the community. 

Government sources immediately cautioned that the purchase was not imminent and nobody is really clear on how it would function or which department would actually cough up the cash and oversee the establishment of Ireland’s second community hotel.

Tipperary Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill said on Tuesday that Roscrea would be 'pushing an open door' when it came to asking for additional resources. File picture: Sasko Lazarov/Rolling News 

The purchase of the hotel, Mr Cahill said, would assuage fears at the loss of Racket Hall, the town’s only hotel and venue for gatherings and functions. The move would be based on the existing Sliabh Beagh Hotel in Knockatallon, Monaghan, which was established with funds released around the Good Friday Agreement, but Mary Mullen, the chairwoman of the Sliabh Beagh board of directors, told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that such an operation was not a panacea to social unrest.

While there is a scheme in Britain which gives local people the chance to buy and run amenities such as pubs and village halls at risk of closure, there is no such mechanism here. That means the Roscrea purchase would likely have to be set up as a pilot scheme. 

On RTÉ News earlier on Tuesday, Mr Cahill said he believed the town would be “pushing an open door” when it came to asking for additional resources, but at that time very few people thought that door would lead to a hotel lobby.

Mr Cahill was echoing the Taoiseach somewhat who had said on his way into Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting that extra resources would be made available for areas which took in high proportions of asylum applicants. However, Leo Varadkar seemed to talking about meeting overstretched medical and educational needs, rather than having somewhere to celebrate a Communion. 

Mr Varadkar referenced the Community Recognition Fund as a potential template for additional money. Of the nearly €1m awarded to Tipperary under the €50m fund, just €60,000 is earmarked for Roscrea for works on a playground, community centre heating system, and a patch of land beside the Age Friendly centre.

Asylum accommodation is needed and needed quickly, so existing hotels are attractive options for the department. But the Government must now ensure that buying a hotel doesn’t become like buying a CD that you never listen to just to get out of an uncomfortable situation.