An investment fund promoted by barrister and debt adviser Ross Maguire is receiving rent of €2 million per year from Dublin City Council for a vacant hostel.
Avalon House at Aungier Street, Dublin city, has been dormant since a legal wrangle six years ago when local objectors went to the High Court to block plans by the Peter McVerry Trust (PMVT) charity to provide homeless accommodation in the property.
The dispute led Dublin City Council to take over the McVerry Trust lease in May 2021. The council pays €300,000 in annual insurance, security and utility costs in addition to the €2 million annual rent. Apart from a ground floor café, the property is vacant.
Under the PMVT and…