Paddy's Palace
Paddy's Palace is a former budget backpacker hostel on a corner site near Busaras and Connolly Station in Dublin city centre. A Department of Children IPPS inspection report published in the gov.ie County Dublin 2025 inspections collection lists it as a contracted International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centre. The report records the property as commercial, independent-living with communal facilities, accommodating single female residents, with a contracted capacity of 122 and 118 residents present on the day of inspection (21 March 2025). The inspector described the centre as located in the heart of Dublin city, within walking distance of public transport and shops, with shared self-catering kitchens and laundry facilities on site.
Capacity
122
people (reported)
Per night
€84
per person (benchmark)
Annual
€3.7m
estimated
Background
The site is at 5 Beresford Place, Gardiner Street Lower, Dublin 1. Irish international protection accommodation is provided through IPAS (the International Protection Accommodation Service), under the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. For how the system works and what it costs, open the cost panel on the interactive map with Ireland selected.
Incidents & reporting
Only events reported by named outlets and explicitly tied to this site are listed. Charges are allegations, not convictions — the presumption of innocence applies.
- Mar 2025Official inspection findings — action required
IPPS inspection records overcrowding and fire-safety findings
An International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS) inspection of the centre on 21 March 2025 recorded a number of issues requiring action. The official summary noted severe overcrowding across rooms (with bunk beds in use and some rooms described as not suitable for occupancy), various fire-safety issues, mould in some bathrooms, plug-in electric heaters in use, and that no female staff were present on the day despite the centre accommodating single female residents. The report stated record-keeping for maintenance and fire-safety checks was not accurate. These are inspection findings; remedial action was flagged as required.
gov.ie / IPPS Inspection Report (Department of Children) — Paddy's Palace · source
Cost
Irish IPAS accommodation is funded by the State. At a blended benchmark of about €84 per person per night (the 2024 whole-system average reported by RTÉ), the 122 people reported here imply roughly €3.7m per year. This is an order-of-magnitude figure for context only, not a site-specific invoice — over 90% of IPAS accommodation is commercially provided and emergency rates run far above State-owned centres.
Sources
gov.ie / IPPS Inspection Report (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth) — County Dublin 2025 inspections collection · Mar 2025. View source
Coordinates geocoded from the published address/town via OpenStreetMap; status reflects the cited reporting and may have changed since.