Mayo GAA club's legal challenge over refusal to allow funding under Immigrant Investor Programme

A Co Mayo GAA club has brought a High Court action challenging the Minister for Justice's decision to reject its application to be included in the Immigrant Investor Programme.

The application has been brought by Islandeady GAA Company Ltd in respect of an application it made to the Minister under the scheme which had, before it was scrapped in 2023, allowed non EU nationals who invested in various projects to secure visas to reside in Ireland.

The club, founded 120 year ago, said that it had attracted an investor through what was known as an endowment project where an investor would give a minimum of €500,000 as a donation to which benefited the arts, health, culture, education and sports in Ireland.

The club claims that it had lined up an investor, Mr Yihaun He, who the club claims would have allowed it to develop its clubhouse, and faculties for the benefit of the local community.

The investor, the club claims, had initially made an application under the scheme where he identified a different project that would receive his funds.

It is claimed that the investor subsequently decided that the Mayo club should be the beneficiary of the proposed endowment.

The club says its proposal was supported by the local community, and that it incurred costs of €25,000 as part of its application to be included as part of the scheme.

The club made an application for inclusion in the scheme in February 2023.

Shortly afterwards, it was announced that the scheme was being discontinued, but all applications submitted before the closure date would be considered.

The club claims it was informed last January that its application had been unsuccessful and that no valid investor application had been submitted.

A representative for the Minister