Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Conference Centre at Citywest Hotel Dublin was also used during the pandemic as an isolation and step down facility. Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Citywest to be used as 'overflow' processing centre for refugees if needed

30,000 refugees are expected to arrive in Ireland by the end of April.

CITYWEST CONVENTION CENTRE is be used as an ‘overflow’ processing centre for refugees arriving from Ukraine should Dublin Airport come under too much pressure. 

The Taoiseach today chaired a Cabinet update on Ukraine which covered the national humanitarian response, and economic issues caused by the war, and the plans to support and accommodate refugees coming into Ireland.

Cabinet was told that as of last night, 14,611 Ukrainian refugees have now arrived in Ireland.

Two thirds are female and one third are male. Of the overall figure, one third are children.

To date, the Government says 22 unaccompanied minors have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine. Around 600 people are arriving each day from Ukraine.

30,000 refugees by the end of April

A Government spokesperson confirmed that around 21,000 refugees are expected to be in Ireland by Easter, with 30,000 refugees expected here by the end of April.

As of now, a total of 11,613 PPS numbers have been issued, and 2,909 child benefit claims have been made. 

A total of 22,657 pledges of accomodation have been made by members of the public. 

Cabinet heard there would be short-term challenges in providing suitable accommodation for the significant numbers coming into the country. 

The Department of Housing is urgently developing proposals to help address those needs over the longer term, ministers were told. 

Cabinet was told that if the current trajectory of arrivals continues, there could be the need for short-term emergency accommodation needed in the near future.

Tents

The Journal reported yesterday that soldiers are building a large tent village for Ukrainian refugees in Gormanstown Camp, but it is hoped that it will be used only as a last resort. 

Soldiers from the Ordnance Corps and the Engineering Corps began work last week on the facility in the County Meath Camp. 

They have constructed the tents on solid raised bases and have been working to provide electrical and plumbing to the facility. 

A Defence Forces spokesperson said that the tents will only be used in a scenario where hotels and other facility spaces have run out.

Cabinet was told today that the Green Glens Arena in Cork is also going to be used to accommodate refugees. It will have capacity for more than 400 people and is on target for use from 18 April.

Additional resources are also being set up at Rosslare Port in Wexford to deal with the growing numbers of refugees arriving by sea. Dublin Airport remains the main entry point for refugees into Ireland. 

The Taoiseach told ministers today that there will be significant challenges when it comes to supplying accommodation for refugees.

He said several senior level groups have met to urgently address the level of needs those arriving in Ireland will have. 

The cost 

Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath today briefed Cabinet on how the State plans to pay for its humanitarian efforts.

A Government spokesperson said that the overall cost is difficult to estimate given the moving variables with the conflict. 

However, McGrath told his colleagues today that in October’s Budget, €3.9 billion was set aside as a contingency fund to deal with Covid-19. Around €1.5 billion has been committed to already.

The minister said the remaining €2.5 billion will now be used to deal with the Ukraine crisis, such as paying for hotel accommodation for refugees. 

Cabinet was told the re-housing and supporting of Ukrainian refugees will incur “significant costs”.

A spokesperson for Government said no additional money is expected to be needed this year, but in 2023 the cost will have to be baked into the Budget. 

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
21 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Murphy
    Favourite Stephen Murphy
    Report
    Mar 29th 2022, 7:46 PM

    we have a housing and health crisis so why couldn’t the government help its own citizens first and build affordable housing and improve the hospitals? I don’t want my tax money to be spent on anyone other than the irish people.

    234
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute DK
    Favourite DK
    Report
    Mar 29th 2022, 8:14 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: Sure we may all do want Stephen wants so!

    44
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jim Buckley Barrett
    Favourite Jim Buckley Barrett
    Report
    Mar 29th 2022, 8:17 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: that’s OK Stephen, you have to work to pay most of the taxes, so no worry for you.

    47
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mickey Finn
    Favourite Mickey Finn
    Report
    Mar 30th 2022, 12:13 AM

    @Stephen Murphy: Maybe the government have ringfenced all your tax for Irish people only and are using more of mine to help people escaping from a war zone, which is fine by me.

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rui Firmino
    Favourite Rui Firmino
    Report
    Mar 30th 2022, 7:29 AM

    @Stephen Murphy: non Irish people pay tax too!

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mark Walsh
    Favourite Mark Walsh
    Report
    Mar 29th 2022, 7:13 PM

    But we aren’t doing enough? According to the Ukrainian President

    163
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Floating Crowbar
    Favourite Floating Crowbar
    Report
    Mar 29th 2022, 7:58 PM

    @Mark Walsh: I can’t understand it

    35
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Roger Bond
    Favourite Roger Bond
    Report
    Mar 29th 2022, 9:03 PM

    @Floating Crowbar: If we take 200,000 and the UK has 13 times more people than us then the UK would need to take 2.6 million Ukrainians..
    It is never going to happen in the UK or any other country.
    We are doing this in the middle of the worst accommodation and health crisis and our leaders keep agreeing to do more.
    Something else is going on here.

    173
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James Lough
    Favourite James Lough
    Report
    Mar 29th 2022, 9:25 PM

    @Roger Bond: 200,000 are you mad ! Is this true ?

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute lisa duignan
    Favourite lisa duignan
    Report
    Mar 29th 2022, 11:06 PM

    @James Lough: yes. Over 4 million ukrainians are dispersing across Europe – so far. 200k sounds feasible in terms of what we should expect. Be glad for this in comparison for what is to come in a year to two years.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mickey Finn
    Favourite Mickey Finn
    Report
    Mar 30th 2022, 12:10 AM

    @Roger Bond: What else is going on here?

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pj Browne
    Favourite Pj Browne
    Report
    Mar 29th 2022, 9:20 PM

    Were creating a bigger crisis for the whole island of Ireland now for everyone

    113
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mickey Finn
    Favourite Mickey Finn
    Report
    Mar 30th 2022, 12:07 AM

    @Pj Browne: You’ll find Putin created it. We’re just trying to cope.

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eddie O'Neill
    Favourite Eddie O'Neill
    Report
    Mar 29th 2022, 9:55 PM

    I’m completely in favour in supporting Ukrainian refugees but there has to be some way of calculating how many our economy can take while at the same time offering these poor souls a decent and happy quality of life. If we cap at x individuals it doesn’t mean that some can’t leave Ukraine, it just means other countries have to take up the slack. So politicians, do we have a figure of how many we can economically take and do we have figures of how much all the other countries are taking. Keep in mind that our great European Commission has paid and is paying Turkey several billion a year to keep Syrian refugees locked up in Turkey.

    80
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute lisa duignan
    Favourite lisa duignan
    Report
    Mar 29th 2022, 11:10 PM

    @Eddie O’Neill: ECB will just print more money and gov will arrange monies to go to shelter providers. Refugees will get startup money and integrate over time to get later social welfare and equal rights. Just 200k of them and they are at least law abiding. Note it is just the warm up. In one to two years there will be other disasters and other let’s say continents will be arriving on our shores. Now that won’t be as pretty believe me.

    28
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mickey Finn
    Favourite Mickey Finn
    Report
    Mar 30th 2022, 12:19 AM

    @Eddie O’Neill: 1.5 million Irish people were accepted by other countries during and immediately after the famine. Good job those countries didn’t do the calculations.

    34
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eddie O'Neill
    Favourite Eddie O'Neill
    Report
    Mar 30th 2022, 12:57 PM

    @Mickey Finn: Thanks Mickey for trying to put a racist slant on my comment where there was none.These 1.5 million Irish you refer to, what countries did they go to, what is the breakdown by country and give a source for your information?

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Powell
    Favourite Michael Powell
    Report
    Mar 29th 2022, 7:19 PM

    Citywest has an eerie history of associations with arms, violence and tragedy

    28
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Murphy
    Favourite Stephen Murphy
    Report
    Mar 29th 2022, 7:44 PM

    @Michael Powell: And building tents before for the covid 19 and no one used them but sure the tax payers paid.

    56
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jim Buckley Barrett
    Favourite Jim Buckley Barrett
    Report
    Mar 29th 2022, 8:19 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: isn’t it great that we didn’t need them, you would be the first to complain if we didn’t prepare and needed the facilities

    82
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frank Gooding
    Favourite Frank Gooding
    Report
    Mar 30th 2022, 7:24 AM

    @Michael Powell: who owns City west now? Is it still in the Mansfield family or nama?

    4
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds