THE DECISION TO move some 80 Ukrainians from a hotel in Co Kerry has been put on hold so further consultation can take place.

Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman has confirmed that “no residents will be moved on Tuesday, as previously suggested”.

Residents in the Skellig Star hotel in Cahersiveen, where roughly 200 live at present, received a letter from the Department of Integration last Friday informing them that half would be moved so international protection applicants could be moved into the building.

The plan has been met with resistance by locals who released a statement over the weekend calling for the move to be halted.

They said the Ukrainians had settled in Cahersiveen and become an “integral part” of the local community, joining sports clubs and taking up work in the town.

“We would be devastated to see them forced to leave,” the statement from ‘The concerned people of Cahersiveen and the Wider south Kerry Community’ said.

“The Ukrainian community in Cahersiveen is currently facing the heart-wrenching prospect of their lives being torn apart again . . . The thoughts of having to uproot themselves once again after settling into a new community is daunting and distressing.”

In a statement to The Journal, a spokesperson for O’Gorman said that Ireland is now accommodating over 83,520 people between those fleeing Ukraine and International Protection applicants. This is a huge jump on the 8,300 who were being accommodated in February 2022.

However, the statement confirmed that, “No residents in Skellig Star will be moved on Tuesday, as the Department continues to assess the situation.”
It also said: “Currently, there is a severe shortage of accommodation for International Protection applicants, and moves within a county are sometimes necessary to ensure that as many people as possible are provided with accommodation.”

“The Department is cognisant of the impact such transfers have on those affected, and work to ensure these only take place where absolutely necessary.”

In an email to locals last night, Minister for Education and Kerry TD Norma Foley said she had listened to residents and spoken to O’Gorman about the situation.

“Minister Foley is more than conscious of the points you have raised and has brought them to the direct attention of Minister O’Gorman.

“Minister O’Gorman has confirmed that no residents will be moved on Tuesday, as previously suggested. This will facilitate further consultation on the matter.”

Liliia Orevchuk, a resident of the Skellig Star, told RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland that people staying there have found themselves among “good people around who are supporting us”.

She added that Ukrainians have been able to “integrate in this community because [people] want us to be here and we want to be here”.

Stephanie O’Mahony, who is part of the local campaign urging the department to halt the move, told the same programme that residents believe some space can be freed up as younger Ukrainians residing in the Skellig Star want to move to a less rural location to live.