KILDARE: Protest at site which will accommodate nearly 1,000 Ukrainian refugees

Protests have been taking place at a site that will accommodate almost 1,000 people who have fled Ukraine because of the two year old war waged by Russia.

About twenty people have been maintaining a presence at the entrance to the faculty being developed at Newhall, between Naas and Newbridge.

Some bought tricolour flags and placards bearing the message “Kildare Says No”. One sign referenced Roderic O’Gorman, the government minister with responsibility for providing somewhere to live to the Ukrainian refugees.

The site is in a rural area situated between the Naas-Newbridge road and Flood’s Cross, a junction on the road leading from the M7 Business Park to Allen Cross.

The project is being managed by Pastures New Ltd, the company associated with the creation of tented-type accommodation for Ukrainians at Stradbally, County Laois, in the wake of the Electric Picnic concert event last year.

Cllr Rob Power and his Fianna Fáil colleague Cllr Noel Heavey, met with some 60 local residents recently to discuss the proposed development of the centre in Newhall. Representatives of Pastures New also attended.

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Ukrainians are described as Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection who differ from asylum seekers originating elsewhere and who come to Ireland seeking refugee status.

Construction work is underway at the site

According to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Newhall Integration Centre, as it’s known, will provide 985 beds and it will manage the arrival of those who come there.

The contract for the centre lasts a year.

The maximum that can be accommodated in Newhall is 985 people and all of them, mostly women and children, are from Ukraine.

The government says it’s expected that residents will only stay for a number of weeks as they adjust to living in Ireland and prepare to transition to their own independent accommodation. There will be 387 en-suite own door sleeping cabins at the facility, to accommodate families of 2-6 people. 

The “winter-ready sleeping cabins” will be connected via covered tracked walkways. There will be a designated heated dining marquee which will operate on a staggered basis, with times allocated to avoid overcrowding. 

All meals and tea/coffee making facilities will be provided, and will take account of cultural and religious issues as well as flexibility around lunches for students and workers. There will be separate recreational marquees for adults and children. There will also be tables outside as well, along with play areas for children. The laundry facilities are communal and located within the centre.

The facility will be staffed with a rostered team to include the facility manager, duty managers, night managers, security teams, food service staff and cleaners. Security personnel will be on-site 24/7, 365 days a year and the manager on duty will be contactable at all times.