EXCLUSIVE: Incoming Owner Of Moyvalley Hotel & Golf Resort Confirms Plans To Accommodate International Protection Applicants In Apartments

Thursday, 30 January 2025 16:36

The news comes as locals plan a protest this weekend

Kfm has exclusively spoken to the expected new owner of the Moyvalley Hotel and Golf Resort, Mr. Kawaljit 'Karl' Sandhu, a multi-millionaire and CEO of Citicorp Apartments Ltd.

Mr. Sandhu confirmed to Kfm that it is his intention to accommodate International Protection Applicants in the block of apartments on the premises.

He told Kfm that discussions are ongoing between his company and the Department of Integration to accommodate 24 families in 24 of the apartments, but no agreement has been reached as of yet.

Mr. Sandhu says he has no intention of changing the use of the Hotel itself, which will continue to offer its current services, including overnight stays and weddings.

The Hotel is located directly adjacent to the apartments.

He also said the Golf club will not be impacted and will continue to operate as normal.

Kfm recently reported that Mr. Sandhu contacted Kildare County Council and applied for a planning exemption, to change the use of 32 apartments on the site for the purposes of accommodating persons seeking International Protection.

Currently, the apartments are used as short-stay self-catering accommodation, however Kfm understands that tenants have received eviction notices.

Kfm has seen official documents whereby Kildare County Council confirmed to Mr. Sandhu on the 19th of December 2024 that the re-purposing of the apartments would be considered an exempted development and a planning exemption would apply.

The news comes as locals in the wider Moyvalley and Broadford area have organised a protest for outside the Moyvalley Hotel and Golf Resort this Saturday.

Speaking to Kfm, one local said that they "feel sorry for the tenants who have been living in the apartments up until now, and have been told they need to find somewhere else to live."

Another local told us that the "lack of amenities and facilities in the area makes it unsuitable to move a large cohort of new families into the locality."

The protest gets underway at midday on Saturday.