Ukrainian refugees to move into Claremorris modular houses this week

TWENTY-EIGHT modular houses in Claremorris are to be occupied by Ukrainian families later this week.

The development, which is situated on the Ballyhaunis Road, began in December and is now ready to accommodate over 100 refugees from Ukraine.

Mayo County Council’s Director of Services, Tom Gilligan, confirmed that the houses were to be occupied this week when contacted by The Mayo News yesterday (Monday). 

It is understood that the houses will be occupied by families-of-four from the Claremorris and wider Mayo area.

The development on the OPW-owned site was opposed by local county councillors Tom Connolly and Richard Finn when it first came to light last October.

Both representatives argued that there were more appropriate sites in the locality and expressed concerns about the lack of housing for local people.

Cllr Connolly (Fine Gael) said that the development would go ahead ‘over my dead body’ while Cllr Finn (Independent) threatened to lie in front of the machinery to halt it.

The development is one of 16 modular housing developments which are to be put in place throughout the country.

A similar recently-opened development in Sligo is housing 24 Ukrainian families on land owned by Sligo County Council.

Planning permission for modular housing has been waived by the government for a period of three years.

There is to be no more than one modular housing development in any county.