Clara centre to host new Ukrainian arrivals
By Rebekah O'Reilly
Inchmore House in Clara has been confirmed as one of four designated centres in the country where new arrivals from Ukraine who seek accommodation from the State will be offered a maximum of 90-days accommodation.
The Designated Accommodation Centre (DAC), in the former St Anthony's boarding school in Kilcoursey, is expected to come into operation in late August.
It will be entirely made up of people fleeing the war in Ukraine. The profile of arrivals from the war in Ukraine to date is mainly women and children.
The numbers accommodated there will gradually increase and may fluctuate, with a maximum capacity of 230 people, though it is thought unlikely that anything near that number will be reached.
The Department of Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration said the contract will be for an initial period of six months.
It said some 36 Ukrainians who are currently resident there will be relocated to another accommodation setting in the county before the 90-day DAC comes into formal operation.
Tullamore Sinn Féin councillor Aoife Masterson has called for an immediate reversal of the decision, stating: “Putting more people in Clara, a community that is already in dire need of supports, will not benefit anyone”.
She claimed the Government tried to 'bury' the story with an announcement the same weekend as the Tullamore Show and Camogie All Ireland Final.
She added: "It unacceptable that elected representatives and the local community were told that Inchmore House is to be used as an accommodation centre as a fait accompli."
Masterson expressed her concerns over the pressure on services, noting that local people are already struggling to access the basic services they need.
"The fact is, people in Clara already can’t access basic services such as GP, dental, and mental health supports while accommodation is already beyond the reach of most.
"Putting more people in Clara, a community that is already in dire need of supports, will not benefit anyone."
In response to a query by the Offaly Independent, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration said:
"Inchmore House has been designated as a 90-Day Designated Accommodation Centre (DAC) under section 60(14A) of the International Protection Act 2015. Since 14 March 2024 newly arriving people fleeing the war in Ukraine and granted Temporary Protection in Ireland are entitled to a maximum of 90 Days of State Accommodation.
"Inchmore House will become one of 4 facilities providing this accommodation. New arrivals are allocated accommodation between these facilities in a balanced manner. Newly arrived people who have been granted Temporary Protection will be allocated to Inchmore House on a phased basis. This facility is being designated in order to ensure there is sufficient capacity in the system.
"The maximum capacity of Inchmore House is 230 people. To date most people who have been accommodated in a 90-Day DAC have left before their full 90 days of accommodation has elapsed."