Appeals are being made this weekend to the Minister with responsibility for refugees Roderic O'Gorman not to remove up to ten Ukrainian school going children and their families from where they have settled in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry in order to make way for international protection applicants.
Some eighty residents or just under half the Ukrainian residents at the Skellig Accommodation Centre in Cahersiveen are being moved to other accommodation, they were told on Friday.
While 40 will remain in the Cahersiveen area, another 40 are being placed in Tralee town centre with effect from Tuesday.
The move is in order to provide accommodation for international protection applicants amid what the department said in a statement to Radio Kerry is a severe shortage of accommodation for international applicants.
The hotel and apartments previously known as the Skellig Star and previously a controversial direct provision centre during Covid have been accommodating around 200 Ukrainian temporary protection refugees since March of last year.
However, the Ukrainian provision was on an interim basis as it had previously been successful in applying to host international protection applicants according to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
Five families including ten school going children are being moved to Tralee, according to local representatives who are appealing to leave the families in Cahersiveen.
The plans to remove them has caused great upset in the community, local Fianna Fáil councillor Norma Moriarity said.
The town has over 400 Ukrainian refugees with over a year.
"There are very few towns who have taken a 40 per cent increase in population and made a real success in terms of integration and that didn't happen by accident. There has stemmed from a huge level of energy and commitment, " Ms Moriarty said referring to both the professional and volunteer input.
There are fears now that much of that spirit will be undermined, she said, and the community was appealing to the Minister and his department to "leave well enough alone" and leave the families stay and not undermine the good work that had been done.
Both Mr O'Gorman and Education Minister Norma Foley, TD for Kerry have been contacted.
Half of the eighty residents are being moved to another premises in Renard outside Cahersiveen and half to Pembroke Street in Tralee according to sources.
Some of the people being moved are working in Cahersiveen, Councillor Michael Cahill (FF) said.. They are also involved in sporting and social organisations.
"There is extreme anger about this - the agencies and schools have put in huge effort," Mr Cahill said.
Mr Cahill also questioned the timing of the move, saying notices only went out on Friday of a bank holiday weekend for the removal on Tuesday morning.
Those going to Renard were being moved at 10.30 am and those to Tralee at around 12 noon they had been told.
“I am imploring Minister O’Gorman to allow these refugees the little comfort they have now achieved and give the alternative accommodation to the newcomers,” he said:
The effect of this kind of upheaval on a small rural town and the effort put in with already stretched services was not being considered, he also said.
The integration had been a great success despite the limited resources. In its statement, the Department of Children and Integration said there is now a severe shortage of accommodation for international protection applicants and as such the Skellig Accommodation Centre in Cahersiveen is required in order to prevent asylum seekers from entering homelessness.
It was aware of the impact and such moves only take place where absolutely necessary, it also said.
