Big jump in Ukrainian refugee arrivals to Laois since summer

The number of people who have fled the war in Ukraine and found refuge in Laois has risen by nearly 40% since the summer, according to official figures.

The Central Statistics Office has reported that a total of 1,385 arrivals from Ukraine were residing in Laois on October 8, 2023. That represents a rise of 38.5% from the 1,000 refugees living in Laios when numbers were last recorded on June 6 this year.

The findings are part of the CSO recently published figures contained in the 11th report in its Arrivals from Ukraine in Ireland Series.

The latest recorded rate of increase is a lot greater than the 14% rise in the number who had found refuge in Laois from February to June this year when the figures were last published. There were 873 people in the county up to February 12.

 
Of the total, 553 are residing in the Portlaoise Municipal District. This takes in Abbeyleix and Ballinakill and stretches to the Kilkenny border. There were 368 in the district up to June 2023. 

The Portarlington - Graiguecullen Municipal District is home to 543 war refugees. There were 408 in June in the district which which includes the Stradbally refugee camp set up to accommodate arrivals from Ukraine temporarily. It's not clear how these people were counted in the statistics. The district stretches from the Offaly border, along the Kildare boundary to Carlow and Kilkenny. 

The Borris-in-Ossory Mountmellick Municipal District is the biggest district in Laois as it stretches from the Offaly border to the boundaries with Tipperary and Kilkenny. There were 289 in the district at the start of October compared to 227 people in June.

The number of children from Ukraine has risen to 283 from 225 this summer. Of the children now here, 179 are in primary school and 104 are in secondary school.

The figures also show that there are now 287 people in Laois in receipt of Accommodation Recognition Payment for hosting Ukrainians. That's up from 139 in February this year.

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Nationally there were 96,338 arrivals from Ukraine in Ireland by October 8 this year.