Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said there many of the Ukrainian refugees who have come to Ireland will probably stay and plans have to be made for long-term accommodation.
He also responded to reports that a group of Ukrainian refugees had been given just 48 hours notice to leave their accommodation in Dundalk with some to be sent as far away as Kerry saying it is important to give as much notice as possible but “there might not be a way around it”.
It is expected that some 70,000 Ukrainians will have fled to Ireland from the Russian invasion of their homeland by the end of the year.
More than 50,000 are being accommodated by the State while others have made their own arrangements.
Mr Varadkar said the Irish initial response to the war was an emergency and humanitarian one.
He added: “it’s becoming increasingly obvious to people that this war could go on for some time and very many of the Ukrainians who have come here are probably here to stay.
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“That means we have to start making plans for longer-term accommodation for people who have come here.”
He said “It’s part of a wider mix. We have a lot of Irish citizens on housing lists too and we have people arriving from other parts of the world as well so we have to see it in the round.”
Mr Varadkar said: “We need to continue the emergency response but also do what we can to see this as a medium to long term issue as well because a lot of Ukrainians that have come here I believe are going to stay here - that’s particularly accelerating the modular housing programme.”
He said he does not know the details of what is happening with refugees being moved from Dundak but has read media reports and he will speak to Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman about it.
“My feeling is that if people have to be moved, and sometimes they do, it’s important to give them as much notice as possible because particularly if families and children have to move schools, for example, that can be very traumatic.”
He also said: “There might not be a way around it but you know, as a basic principle, I think we should try to give people as much notice as possible if they need to move.”
He was told one report was of a grandmother being sent to Limreick while her daughter and four children are going to Galway.
Mr Varadkar said: “That’s not desirable at all and it’s not good that families are ever separated, or that people are asked to move from one place to another with short notice and that’s true all year.
“It’s particularly true in Christmas week for obvious reasons.
“So I don’t know the exact details, but I will be in touch with Minister O’Gorman about it and see if there’s anything we can do to make it better.”
Mr Varadkar was speaking to reporters as he visited a dinner hosted by businessman Harry Crosbie for more than 100 members of the Ukrainian community at his Vicar Street venue.
The Taoiseach said he wanted to drop in to remind the Ukrainian community it is welcome here and that Ireland supports Ukraine in its efforts to secure its independence and democracy.
Mr Crosbie and the Irish Red Cross, along with the representative group Ukrainian Action in Ireland, had all collaborated on putting together a community resource centre at the entertainment centre earlier this year which has now been relocated to Rathmines.
