Áras an Chontae, Mullingar.

Covid forum repurposed to cope with Ukraine crisis

The community response forum set up in Westmeath two years ago to deal with the Covid pandemic has been “repurposed” to cater for the needs of Ukrainian refugees who move to this area.

The practicalities of getting potentially hundreds of people housed, and of arranging school places for the children among them are two of the issues at the top of the priority list, Westmeath County Council’s Pat Murtagh, co-ordinator of the Westmeath Community Forum, said this week.

“As a local authority we have been asked by the department to identify vacant sites around the county, so we have done that so far – mainly state-owned properties such as old hospitals,” he says, adding that in general, each of the properties identified is in need of some sort of work to make it suitable.

The locations the forum has identified as having potential to accommodate refugees won't be able to cater for huge numbers, Mr Murtagh cautions. “You’d probably be looking at a few hundred beds – not huge numbers.”

At this stage, the forum doesn’t have a role in housing any of the arrivals: “At the moment it’s the national group IPAS that is managing accommodation.

“To get a roof over people’s heads when they arrive is the first priority and then further along the line we will be looking at housing and facilities for those people.”

There is a membership of around 25 on the forum, which has met three times to date.

“There’s a broad representation drawn from the local state agencies, the HSE, the Department of Social Protection, Westmeath Community Development Volunteer Centre, the GAA, Local Link, St Vincent de Paul, the County Childcare Committee, An Garda Síochána, Youth Services, Sports Partnership and the Ukrainian community,” said Mr Murtagh.

“The message coming from national government is that every location will have its own issues and we will deal with stuff on a local basis as issues arise, and look at how best we can deliver services to these people in practical terms in both Athlone and Mullingar in the main.”

Mr Murtagh said the levels of English fluency among the new arrivals is “mixed”.

“There are English classes being arranged for Mullingar and Athlone and the LWETB has run a competition to engage English language tutors,” he stated.