Two Mayo hotels will no longer house Ukrainian refugees
Hotel Newport, is also to stop providing accommodation for Ukrainian refugees in the coming months.
Residents living in Hotel Newport (7) must vacate by July 31 while the 55 people living in Downhill Inn must relocate by August 29.
Located on the Sligo Road in Ballina, The Downhill Inn was one of several Mayo properties that has accommodated Ukrainian refugees after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
At one point, over 20pc of Mayo's tourism bed stock was being used to accommodate Ukrainian refugees or international protection applicants.
The Department of Justice confirmed that the owners of the Downhill Inn and Hotel Newport have not expressed an interest in providing accommodation to people seeking international protection 'and the Department is not considering them for this use'.
'The need for accommodation for people affected by the war in Ukraine is reducing and this is expected to continue,' the Department said.
'Many people are choosing to move on from State-supported accommodation or are leaving Ireland. State accommodation contracts may also be ending where compliance issues arise, or where the owner chooses to end their contract.
'Because the Department must ensure value for money and an effective system overall, this means some people will be moved to other locations, if they still require State-contracted accommodation. Properties can then return to their original use.'
The Department advised that given 'the number of moves that will take place over the next few weeks, and the dispersed nature of our available accommodation options, new accommodation may not be available in the same area'.
Exceptional circumstances regarding provision of accommodation can be raised with the Department, which will consider 'HSE assessed medical need' when allocating follow-on accommodation.
'We appreciate that this is not easy for people and that moving location may be very disruptive. We need to provide the best we can for all those who came to Ireland fleeing the war in Ukraine, while balancing this with the requirement to make best possible use of State funds.'
Across the country 12,000 beds returned to tourism from use by the Department of Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth from May-November 2024.
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