Over 1,000 Ukrainian refugees accommodated in Mayo households

A total of 1,013 Ukrainian refugees are being accommodated in Mayo households in receipt of the Accommodation Recognition Payment.

According to the CSO’s latest Arrivals from Ukraine in Ireland Series, Mayo is accommodating the eighth highest number of Ukrainian refugees in this manner of any county.

Homeowners or tenants hosting refugees from Ukraine are entitled to a monthly payment of €800 from the government.

Garda vetting is not required but all properties must meet minimum standards. Consent from the other tenants and owners must also be obtained in order to avail of the Accommodation Recognition Payment.

Of the 104,870 Ukrainian refugees who arrived in the state since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, a total of 21,824 are living with hosts receiving the payment.

A total of 4,639 Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTP) from Ukraine have lived in Mayo since the start of the war, based on the number of PPS numbers allocated to each individual.

This figure does not reflect the true number of Ukrainian refugees residing in the county at any given time.

The Westport electoral area once again has the highest number in Mayo, with 1,303 refugees from Ukraine residing there since the start of the war – a slight increase from the 1,241 reported in October 8.

Westport is now second in Connacht only to Galway City among the electoral areas that have accommodated the highest number of Ukrainian refugees.

The number of PPS numbers allocated in the Westport area now makes up 6.53 percent of the area’s 2022 Census population.

As a percentage of the population, Westport has accommodated the eighth highest percentage in the state – some way off Ennistymon in Clare with 12.47 percent.

The Westport area has also accommodated the third highest number of Ukrainian refugees in Connacht as a percentage of its population, trailing Ballinamore (7.6 percent) and Carrick-on-Shannon (6.9 percent) in Leitrim.

In Mayo, Castlebar narrowly trails Westport for the total number of PPS numbers issued to Ukrainian refugees with 1,289. This is followed by Ballina (798), Claremorris (605) and Belmullet (426).

The Swinford electoral area once again had the lowest total, with 218 PPS numbers issued to arrivals from Ukraine since February 2024.

Westport has accommodated the eleventh highest number of Ukrainians of any local electoral area in the state. Kenmare, Killarney and Tralee in Kerry top the list with over 2,500 each.

A total of 581 Ukrainian refugees are now enrolled in primary school in Mayo, as well as 333 enrolled in the county’s secondary schools.

The total number of 914 is the eleventh highest total students being educated in any county in the state.

Ukrainians fleeing the war are entitled to reside and work in the state on foot of the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive.

The amount of social welfare paid to Ukrainian refugees was recently slashed from €220 per week to €38.80.

State-provided accommodation is also now only available to BOTPs for a maximum of 90 days.

REMEMBRANCE

UKRAINIANS living in Mayo are due to gather at the Octagon in Westport this Saturday at 1pm as part of a ceremony of remembrance on the two-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The family of the late Finbar Cafferkey, who was killed while supporting Ukrainian forces in East Ukraine last year, will give readings at a special service in St Mary’s Church following the gathering.