Laois Designated Accommodation Centre for Ukrainians the largest in Ireland

Stradbally has been announced as the largest of five Designated Accommodation Centres confirmed for Ukrainian refugees in Ireland.

A total of six centres have been identified nationally. They are to be used to house new arrivals from Ukraine who register for temporary protection and are looking for State-provided accommodation in Ireland. They will be accommodated for a maximum of 90 days at the centres.  

The refugees will be provided with food, laundry, other services and integration supports in the Designated Accommodation Centres.

From this Thursday, March 14,  standard social welfare payments will no longer be available to a person while they are resident in Designated Accommodation Centres. They will be entitled to a reduced weekly allowance of €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child in respect of daily expenses, while they are resident in Designated Accommodation Centres. Entitlement to Child Benefit is not affected by these changes.

When they leave the Designated Accommodation Centre, or if they make their own accommodation arrangements on arrival, they will be entitled to apply for standard social welfare assistance, equivalent to Irish citizens subject to meeting the eligibility conditions.

Stradbally was first used to house Ukrainian refugees in festival tents days after the Electric Picnic finished last September. Assurances were given at that time that the site would only be used as a temporary measure for six weeks and would house a maximum of 750 people.

When the six weeks elapsed, a new contract was agreed and the refugees were housed in new winter-ready accommodation on the land in Stradbally. Under the new contract, the site was designed to house a maximum of 950 people but the residents were only staying for short periods before moving on to new locations.  It's understood the facility has never neared capacity. 

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth has now confirmed the Stradbally site is to have the largest capacity of five Designated Accommodation Centres announced for Ireland, a sixth centre has yet to be announced.  

The first five to be confirmed as Designated Accommodation Centres are: Stradbally, Co. Laois (capacity: 950),  Ballyogan Road, Dublin City (capacity: 392),  Fernbank, Limerick City (capacity: 250), Punchestown, Co. Kildare (capacity: 378) and Gerald Griffin Street, Cork City (capacity: 107). 

The Department said changes announced in social welfare and accommodation do not apply to people seeking international protection in Ireland, and only apply to people fleeing the war in Ukraine who request temporary protection here. Further information can be found on www.gov.ie/Ukraine.