Ukrainian residents appeal to be allowed to remain in Offaly town

THE Ukrainian refugees currently residing at Elm Grove House in Birr have been given notice that they will be moved from there from the beginning of next month, causing great distress for the entire group.

There are currently 42 Ukrainians living at Elm Grove and 23 of them have been given notice that they will be moved to Banagher from May 1^st, while the remainder, who have a lot more challenging and complex medical needs, have been informed they will have to move as well, but as of yet no alternative accommodation has been sourced for them.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has decidided not to renew the contract with Elm Grove House to house them but have not elaborated on why they took this decision and the Department notified the residents that they would have to move.

The decision has come as a great shock to all the residents and they are very upset at the decision. They have settled into Birr, some have got jobs and children are attending local schools and if this decision goes ahead, it will cause huge upheaval for them all.

They are now appealing to the authorities to reverse the decision and to allow them to stay in Birr, where they have integrated into the community and have been very happy since their arrival last year. In a letter to the authorities they stated:

“We, the undersigned, respectfully submit this collective appeal for your consideration. We are 23 Ukrainian nationals who have been granted temporary protection in Ireland. Following our resettlement on September 1^st, 2023, we were relocated to the town of Birr, residing at Elm Grove House. Over the past eight months, many of us have found employment, our children attend school, and we have successfully integrated into the community, forming meaningful connections and friendships.

“Today, we were informed of plans to relocate us to another town, Banagher. Such a sudden upheaval, especially for our children, would cause immense distress. Despite the psychological traumas we endured in Ukraine, we strive to move forward, to adapt, and to contribute positively to society.

“We are deeply grateful for the genuine assistance we have received thus far, and we truly value it. However, please understand that we are emotionally drained. This impending move would mark our third relocation. Our goal is to adapt, to secure employment, and to rebuild our lives. Therefore, we kindly ask to allow us to remain in Birr, at Elm Grove House. Your support during this challenging time would mean the world to us.”

The 23 Ukrainians being moved to Banagher arrived in September last year while those in wheelchairs and who have other medical needs arrived just over a year ago.

Maureen Guinan, manager at Elm Grove House, said they offered Rathcabbin Nursing Home for use for those with medical needs but that was rejected and they don't know where these people are going to go.

She said the residents are perplexed by the decision and want to remain in Birr. She said there are nine children among the group, who are attending the Mercy Girls School, St Brendan's Boys School and St Brendan's Community School and are doing well. She said they have settled into their schools and to move them now would not only cause great upset, but would also entail great cost, as they would all need new school uniforms and have to get used to a new curriculum in a different school. She explained a lot of effort had been put in to get places for them in schools in Birr and to help them settle and now they could be forced to move.

Some of the residents explained that their children were traumatised when they arrived in Ireland and it took them time to settle in Birr, but now they were coming out of their shells and were making new friends locally and they could see that they were improving. One 16 year old year has Cerebral Palsy and through great efforts of the Community School, they were able to accommodate her and she enjoys going to school there. Transport had been secured to transfer her to school but now that will all be lost.

Maureen Guinan said it was impossible to get someone to talk to in the Department and all communication was through email, so it was very difficult to find out what was going on.

The residents expressed great satisfaction with the way they have been looked after by Maureen and the staff at Elm Grove, as they have helped them integrate. They pointed out that everyone at Elm Grove has created a lovely environment for them, which has helped them settle after the traumas they experienced in their own country.

Maureen Guinan explained that there were no doctors available in Birr but they had got the residents signed up with a clinic in Mullingar and they bring them there by bus there for medical appointments. Similarly they had got places with dentists for them. She said that would all be lost now as there would be no one to bring them to any of these places. She said the units in Banagher are independent units and there would not be staff available to the residents as there is in Birr.

She said thre is constant talk about integration and helping the Ukrainians to integrate into society locally but she asked how is uprooting them after they have settled into a community going to help them integrate? She said none of them could understand the decision and they have been unable to get any answers about it.

Some of the residents have got jobs locally and fear they may not be able to hold on to those positions if they are moved. They said that the aim for many of them is that they would be able to get jobs and then source accommodation for themselves but at the moment it is too early for most of them to do that as it is not financially viable, although some have moved on previously.

Maureen Guinan said that they have done a huge amount for the children – they have hurling every Saturday, they are doing athletics and showing a lot of promise, they recently had a party for Easter and events for occasions like Mother's Day and Daffodil Day. They have become friendly with children from Emmet House, where International Protection applicants are housed, but they have also been inviting local friends from the town to come and join them to play football and other games at Elm Grove as well and this will all be lost if they move.

Neighbours in the area have also been very good and often drop in to visit and have dropped in clothes and other essentials.

They are also very concerned about what will happen to the people in Elm Grove who require a lot of medical attention. Some of the other residents help out with looking after some of these people, many who have no English, and they fear what will happen to them if they are moved to a new location where they don't get the same level of care.

They have contacted some local public representatives to seek their help to see if something can be done to reverse this decision.

Something similar happened in Kilcormac prior to Christmas when residents at a location there were given just a few days notice that they would have to move, but after opposition to the move was voiced, the decision was reversed.

The residents at Elm Grove House hope that they too can get a similar result and that this decision can be reversed. They are seeking support for their cause and hope that their pleas will be listened to by the Department and that they will be allowed to continue residing at Elm Grove House.