Concerns over refugee/tourism balance

CONCERNS Independent councillor Christy Hyland.

Meeting sought with Gilligan about number of refugee hotel beds

Oisín McGovern

LOCAL politicians from the West Mayo area are seeking a meeting to discuss the use of hotel accommodation for refugees ahead of the tourist season.
Cllr Christy Hyland, Cathaoirleach of the Westport-Belmullet Municipal District, has invited Mayo County Council Director of Services Tom Gilligan to discuss the matter with local representatives.
There are currently approximately 3,223 Ukrainian refugees living in Mayo, 95.8 percent of whom are living in hotels, B&Bs, self-catering accommodation, guest houses or holiday villages.
“I just want him to come in and give us the facts regarding the amount of refugees that are availing of it and so that he would give us an indication into the future, that if we have to cope with more, what would we be able to cope with,” Cllr Hyland said.
Speaking to The Mayo News, Cllr Hyland said he has ‘concerns’ about how the area will balance its duty of care to refugees and its ability to cater to tourists. At least 1,203 refugees from Ukraine are living in the Westport-Belmullet Municipal District, which is heavily dependent on the summer tourist trade.
On June 10 last year, the district was home to 268 Ukrainian refugees in the Westport area and 91 in the Belmullet area. The latest figures therefore represent a near quadrupling in eight months; the highest of any municipal area in Mayo.
This is followed by Castlebar with 1,093 people, while 463 Ukrainian refugees are living in Claremorris/Swinford and 464 in the Ballina area.
“We must get the balance right and ensure that we have no job losses in the tourism sector as a result of lack of accommodation, while at the same time doing our best to help these poor people who are fleeing a war situation,” Cllr Hyland said.
Tom Gilligan previously told this newspaper that it would be ‘very difficult’ to source alternative accommodation for refugees if hotels did not renew their contracts.
No Mayo hotel has indicated that it will not be renewing its contracts with the government. However, nationally, a number of hotels have yet to new their contracts, prompting concerns about how refugees will be accommodated during the summer.