People in Drumshanbo are “shocked” that Ukrainians living in the town will move in two weeks' time, a local councillor has said. 

Some 170 Ukrainians are living in a hotel in the County Leitrim town and some of them have been there continuously since arriving in Ireland in 2022. 

A few days ago, the Department for Integration informed them their lease with the hotel was coming to an end and alternative accommodation would be found for them. 

Speaking to Breakfast Briefing, Fine Gael Councillor Enda McGloin said there was a “huge amount of sympathy” for Ukrainians when they arrived in the area and they have settled into the local community “really well”. 

“Over the last two years, they have been involved working locally,” he said. 

“A lot of them are in a position to do so; the children have attended local schools and, for example, there was a litter pick some months ago and a lot of the residents in the hotel were involved in that. 

“So, they have settled in really well and they’ve integrated really well indeed.” 

Putting down roots

Most of the Ukrainians are women and children; many of the adults now work locally and the children have boosted the rolls at a number of small rural schools in the county. 

“Not all go to the local school here in Drumshanbo, some attend some of the rural schools right across the area and some of them attend local secondary schools,” Cllr McGloin said. 

“In fact, it’s having such an impact in terms of the numbers that one of the local schools has a threat of even losing a teacher based on the number of [Ukrainian] pupils that have attended there.” 

The group were informed by the Department last week that they would have to move but have not yet been told where they will be going. 

“They were given two weeks, they weren’t specifically told where they were moving too,” Cllr McGloin said. 

“The presumption being that they would go to other locations that the Department has contracts with. 

“So, there’s a vacuum in the sense that they know they’ll be moving somewhere but they don’t know where. 

“The short notice of two weeks is an issue, I have to say.” 

School year

Cllr McGloin said it would be “much better” if at least the children were allowed to finish the school year in their current accommodation. 

“All this will come as a shock,” he said. 

“They will find the short window another issue; I was in touch with the local authority who were charged in some respects with maybe finding private accommodation for them. 

“There has been some success in that.” 

Since the invasion of their country, over 100,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Ireland.

Main image: Ukrainians gather on O'Connell Street, Dublin, to mark 365 days of the Ukraine war, 24/02/2023.