Deputy raises issues over planned accommodation for refugees in Kilkenny

A sports arena in Wallslough which is currrently being considered as a site to house Ukrainian refugees is unsuitable according to a Dáil deputy.

Deputy Kathleen Funchion raised a number of issues regarding the potential future use of the site with the Minister from Children, Equality, Disability and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman and asked if he was aware ‘that there are enforcement issues regarding the property’.

The Minister replied and outlined that in January 2023 his department received a commercial offer of temporary accommodation for Ukrainian refugees.

“As the proposal involved a property requiring significant conversion and refurbishment works, in February 2023 the offer was referred to the emergency refurbishment (Ukraine) programme which is overseen by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and approved by Government.

The Minister outlined that a detailed assessment must be carried out to ensure that the property is prepared to the required standard and complies with building, fire and other statutory requirements adding that Kilkenny County Council has assessed the plans for this proposal with regard to suitability, compliance with the guidelines for temporary accommodation and the project’s capacity to comply with key regulatory requirements.

“I emphasise that my Department’s acceptance of this property is fully dependant on all the necessary statutory and regulatory requirements being met and the accommodation centre being substantially compliant with the guidelines. In that regard, the property to which the Deputy refers is not currently in contract with my Department for the provision of accommodation to Ukrainians and will not be until the relevant conditions have been met,” he added.

Deputy Funchion remarked to the Dáil that she was raising the issue because she shares the concerns of the community in Wallslough.

“There is an issue because there is no public transport and there are no schools. It is a 13km round trip to get to any shops, schools or facilities. There are also serious issues with public wastewater, sewerage and water.
Deputy Funchion added that the facility in question is ‘an old equestrian centre’.

“It will certainly not be up to standard. There are also serious issues in respect of compliance and I know that has been brought to the local authority’s attention.

“What is frustrating for the people in the community is that they do not seem to be getting answers in respect of what they should do or to whom they should speak about the compliance issues.”

Minister O’Gorman said that the Deputy had set out her concerns about the use of the equestrian facilities.

“We have done it successfully in Millstreet and in Kill. Those are two areas in which we have converted equestrian accommodation into emergency accommodation in recent times, recognising the scale of our accommodation challenge.

“I know from engagement with the Deputy and other TDs that there is an enforcement issue in respect of some materials or objects on that site. I understand that is being worked through with Kilkenny County Council at the moment.

“For the contract, we require compliance with these guidelines and a contract will not be issued until we determine there is compliance. If there is no compliance, we will not be in a position to contract at the location irrespective of what works a potential provider might have done previously,” said the Minister adding that he is ‘happy to continue to engage with the Deputy on the issue’.