TWO planning referrals have been lodged with An Coimisiún Pleanála concerning whether hotels in Newbridge used to accommodate people seeking international protection require planning permission.
The cases relate to the Gables Guesthouse and Leisure Centre on Athgarvan Road and the Eyre Powell Hotel on Main Street, both currently used to house international protection applicants, and operated by a company owned by Baltinglass businessman Joseph Germaine.
Both referrals were submitted on 25 March 2026 and remain under consideration, with decisions expected by 28 July 2026.
At the centre of the referrals is a key legal question: does this use amount to “development” under planning law, or can it be treated as “exempted development,” meaning no planning permission is required for minor developments?
It is understood that exempted developments constitute developments which need no planning permission, while most changes of use require planning permission unless specifically exempt.
The purpose of exemptions is to avoid controls on developments of a minor nature.
The Wicklow-based firm provides services for international protection applicants and people displaced by the war in Ukraine under state contracts.
Recent reports indicate that the company has made millions in the business of providing emergency accommodation.
Peachport Ltd recorded after-tax profits of €2.8 million for the 12 months to February 2025, down from €5.69 million the previous year, and had accumulated profits of €11.7 million at the end of February 2025, alongside cash reserves of €8.55 million.
The company has also faced opposition to a separate planning proposal in Dublin. In February 2026, Peachport Ltd applied to Dublin City Council to convert a four-storey office building, Adelaide House on Adelaide Road, into short-term hostel accommodation.
Local residents and planning observers raised concerns about the scale and intensity of the proposed development, as well as the company’s background in operating State-contracted International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centres. Objections highlighted the potential for high-density use and called for restrictions to prevent the site being used for State emergency accommodation.
Mr Germaine was contacted by the Kildare Nationalist, but had not responded in time for publication.
