Majority of 1,033 Ukrainians in Laois in privately sourced or pledged properties
Laois is now home to over 1,000 Ukrainian refugees who have fled the war ravaging their home country.
Laois County Council continues to lead and coordinate the Laois Ukrainian Community Response Forum.
The council gave details of the response at the latest council meeting this week and said the Forum’s remit is to be broadened to include all those fleeing conflict anywhere.
The Forum, consisting of 23 statutory and voluntary groups/agencies, meets regularly and has held 17 meetings to date, in order to ensure consistency and efficiency in service delivery and supports to new arrivals from Ukraine.
The most recent data indicates there are approximately 1,033 displaced Ukrainian citizens in Laois. Approximately 314 of these are in accommodation centres such as hotels, guesthouses, hostels and refurbished properties, with the remainder in privately sourced or pledged accommodation.
With the pending establishment of a Laois County Council Integration Support Service, the remit of the Forum is being broadened to ensure efficient delivery of services to all refugees fleeing conflict, the council’s Monthly Management Report stated.
The Council continues to assist the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS - under the auspices of Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, (DCEDIY) with the temporary accommodation of Ukrainian arrivals to Laois, as well as providing liaison locally in relation to vacant buildings and sites suitable for medium to long term accommodation solutions.
The Council also continues to allocate privately pledged/offered accommodation to Ukrainian families, with 48 households having been provided with accommodation through these mechanisms to date.
Site works are continuing at the 42 Modular Homes project in Rathdowney. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has indicated a revised date of October 2023 for handover of the site to them from Office of Public Works, the report notes.