Eighty Ukrainian refugees have arrived at a new “temporary rest centre” in Ballyogan, south Dublin.
The large building owned by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council on Ballyogan Road is to be the main hub for displaced Ukrainian nationals in the east of Ireland and is expected to provide short-term respite for 300 residents, according to a report in The Irish Times.
Later, they will be allocated longer-term accommodation in other areas of the State.
As the centre opened its doors on Thursday evening, Lettie McCarthy, An Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, said she was “satisfied by the breadth of services available”.
“The enormous amount of work that has been undertaken in recent weeks by staff from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, their colleagues and counterparts across the east region ... demonstrates the competence, quality and agility of our public services and volunteer organisations regionally and locally,” she said.
“Having spoken to fellow councillors and mayors around the east region, I feel I speak on their behalf when I say that we are all very proud of the huge response in a time of crisis.”
The temporary accommodation includes a site supervisor, a facilities team, as well as catering, security and cleaning staff, operating on a 24-hour basis.
The HSE is providing on-site healthcare for Ukrainian residents, who are being provided with access to offsite GP services seven days a week.
The centre includes laundry and sanitary facilities, internet access, television spaces, games consoles, games room, chess boards, use of bikes and scooters and libraries of Ukrainian books for children and adults.
Translation services are provided as well as online access to Ukrainian newspapers and magazines.
Residents can also avail of orientation and information sessions and basic English language lessons.
An arts and music entertainment programme is also being developed both on-site and nearby offsite, said Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.
