Flynn wants to see refugees housed in new Ballina facility

A Westport councillor has suggested the vacant Mary Robinson Centre in Ballina could be used to house Ukrainian refugees.

Fine Gael Cllr Peter Flynn made his comments after the local authority's Director of Housing Tom Gilligan said it would not be possible to return the Quay Community Centre in Westport to community use. The centre has been used to house refugees for the past two years but Cllr Flynn had asked that the local Meals on Wheels service be accommodated there while their premises on Mill Road were unavailable.

However, in a memo that was read to councillors at last week's Westport-Belmullet Municipal District meeting, Mr Gilligan said every local authority in the country was requested to identify suitable buildings for temporary accommodation to aid people fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Quay Community Centre was being used in this capacity as a ‘Rest Centre’ where refugees are housed until more suitable accommodation is found and there were currently no plans to change this current use. Mr Gilligan said 362 beneficiaries of the Temporary Protection Directive, activated by the EU Council in March 2022, have been accommodated at this location.

“The Quay Community Centre is being used and is a vital cog in our efforts to deal with Europe’s humanitarian crisis and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. There are currently no plans to change its current use of providing much-needed humanitarian support and respite from the suffering refugees are having to endure,” wrote Mr Gilligan.

However, Cllr Flynn said he had “no regard” for the senior official's memo.

“It is hard to fathom how a community centre could be suitable accommodation for refugees. You’re talking 22 camp beds on a cold floor, how is that sustainable?

“I’m fed up with Tom Gilligan telling us what we can and cannot do our own MD.”

Cllr suggested that Mr Gilligan consider using the vacant Mary Robinson Centre in Ballina for Ukrainian refugees. Cllr Flynn said it "make some use’ of the building while also securing the necessary funding to renovate it.

“Tom Gilligan drives past the Mary Robinson Centre in Ballina every day. The chief executive [of the council] has told us there is no money available to fit it out so why not put these Ukrainian refugees into the Mary Robinson Centre and make some use of that building and Tom can oversee the running of it.”

Cllr Brendan Mulroy said Meals on Wheels is an essential service and the lack of suitable facilities is a crisis in itself.

“This is an invaluable service in Westport and [the building] should be handed back. It is well past time that we have to be begging for our community centre back,” said Cllr Mulroy.

Head of the district Padraig Walsh said he would pass on the councillors' comments to the Director of Housing.