Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2022
725. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if his Department has considered making the HSE owned 17-bedroom Inis Ghile building in Parteen, County Clare available for Ukrainian refugees, given that it is currently lying idle despite being fully-renovated in recent years. [27765/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to thank Deputy Crowe for his question.
It is vital that we provide the best, holistic response to ensure the safety of, and provide support to, Ukrainian people arriving in Ireland as a result of the conflict in Ukraine.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is responsible for the provision of emergency refugee accommodation.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is focusing on the medium and long-term accommodation challenges and leading cross-government efforts through a Housing Taskforce established by Government for this purpose.
This work involves considering a number of options, including refurbishment and reconfiguration of vacant public and private owned buildings as multi-occupancy accommodation for Ukrainian refugees.
As part of this work, my Department and the HSE have submitted a list of potentially suitable properties to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, with the aim that those that might be suitable for use as multi-occupancy accommodation can be brought into use for such purposes.
With specific regard to the property at Inis Ghile, Parteen, Co. Clare, I can confirm that the building has not been identified by the HSE as a potentially suitable property which may potentially be used to provide accommodation for refugee housing, as the HSE have requirements for its use.
The HSE owned property at Inis Ghile in Parteen has been used intermittently for the immunisation programme by the HSE's Community Health public health team during 2021. However going forward it will revert to being used by the Mental Health Service for its East Clare Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
