Mayo is now home to almost 4,500 Ukrainian nationals
Members of the Ukrainian community in Ballina taking part in the local St Patrick's Day parade earlier this year. Picture: John O'Grady
More than 4,000 Ukrainian nationals have been housed in Mayo since the outbreak of the war in their country last year.
The latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures have revealed that a total of 4,316 PPS numbers have been issued to Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection living in Mayo as of October 8. Ukrainians first started arriving in Ireland in early March 2022.
The Westport local electoral area is home to the highest number of Ukrainians with 1,241. Castlebar is the next highest in the county with 1,189. Ballina has accommodated 742 Ukrainians in the electoral area; Claremorris is home to 543 people from Ukraine, with 405 in Belmullet. The Swinford area has the lowest number of Ukrainian refugees of any municipal district with 196.
The CSO also states that there are 575 Ukrainian children enrolled in Mayo’s primary schools and 349 enrolled in the county’s secondary schools.
Most Ukrainians living in Mayo are primarily being housed in hospitality accommodation.
Last month, Mayo County Council said it does not trust the accuracy of refugee figures provided by the Department of Justice.
The local authority previously provided monthly updates on the refugee numbers in the county to councillors. Fine Gael Cllr Donna Sheridan queried why these updates stopped in July and was told by Director of Services, Tom Gilligan that the updates had been halted as he felt he could not stand over the figures being provided by the Department.
Mr Gilligan said recent figures stated that refugees were being housed in the Quay Community Centre in Westport but he knows this is no longer the case. Mr Gilligan said the figures currently available to the council have to "come with a health warning" over their veracity.
Councillors were deeply concerned that inaccurate figures were being provided.
"If we are being given the wrong figures that's really serious," said Cllr Michael Kilcoyne.
Proposed changes to the situation for Ukrainian refugees living in Ireland are expected in the coming weeks.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that a joint proposal would be brought to Cabinet.
The Taoiseach said the State was not going to refuse Ukrainian refugees or other asylum seekers, but that the Government “can’t be blind to (the) reality” that Ireland is seen as more attractive than other EU countries.
