Dept of Children says ‘outlook for availability of accommodation is ‘extremely challenging’

The Department of Children, which has responsibility for IPAS, confirmed in a statement to the Meath Chronicle, that Gormanston Park Limited has been contracted for the provision of serviced accommodation as part of the Ukraine response with maximum capacity for 401 refugees.

A spokesperson said Ireland has welcomed 49,600 people who have fled Ukraine, a number that is expected to exceed 51,000 by the end of September and there is no expectation that arrivals will abate as we enter the autumn, adding that "the outlook for the availability of suitable accommodation is extremely challenging".

"Contingency planning continues and no stone has been left unturned when it comes to procuring accommodation. Emergency, contingency accommodation is also being sourced by repurposing large sporting and other facilities to provide shelter."

The statement continued:

"We can confirm that the Department has contracted Gormanston Park Limited (GPL) for the provision of serviced accommodation as part of the Ukraine response. The maximum capacity of GPL is 401 with 289 refugees currently accommodated there.

“We are not in a position to comment in any more detail on contractors or contractual matters due to the commercially sensitive nature of this information. All arrangements are reviewed in advance of their end date before any decision is taken to extend further.

"The Department received representations from parents and met with them to discuss their concerns on 6th September 2022.

“Following this meeting, Department officials have been working with the contractor to work through concerns raised, take any remedial actions required and ensure that parents are kept updated through established school channels.

"The school is responsible for the safety of children inside the school’s curtilage. The school’s curtilage, for the avoidance of doubt, is inside the green fence line. The contractor is assisting with security arrangements to ensure drop-off and pick-up times are adequately resourced to ensure traffic is managed safely and any overlap of students and residents is minimised. All of the contractors staff who are in contact with residents are Garda vetted. Drop off and pick-ups are supervised by both the school and contractor staff. Where excursions by the school take place, e.g. to the Sports Hall, protocols are in place by the school to ensure that students are accompanied by a teacher at all times. In the case of the sports hall, when the school is timetabled to be there, the contractor has a staff member on site to ensure only students and their teacher are present.

“The contractor has installed opaque covering to the windows of both the accommodation block and the dining hall. The contractor has worked with the principal and the school to come up with and implement alternative solutions that may be easier for parents and students e.g. entering the school through the front door.

"The contractor has been operating accommodation since 2015 and regularly carries out risk assessment.

“The sleeping and eating areas are outside the curtilage of the licenced area of the school. All sleeping areas are separated from the school via Salto access control, extensive CCTV cameras are in place.

"Meath County Council approached GPL to use its accommodation back at Easter and the council performed a site visit, including the Fire Officer. A detailed proposal was issued by GPL to the Department of Children including maps, drawings, facilities connectivity, etc. and GPL engaged the experience and expertise of existing refugee accommodation provider to assist, prepare and manage the provision of the services.

"Gormanston Park offers significant number of bed spaces, high quality accommodation through refurbished rooms, amenities including dining room and recreation rooms, a safe environment for residents, proximity to local schools, shops, transport, etc.

“The Department will continue to engage with all stakeholders to ensure that all involved have an opportunity to express their concerns and will continue to address any issues that may arise."