CORK County Council has been advised that the Office of Public Works (OPW) will not now be proceeding with a potential site in Mallow to house Ukrainian refugees. The site at Carhookeal was the scene of protests earlier this year as some local people said they had not been consulted. The OPW has also stated that the site was not suitable for the modular units due to its steep gradient.

Council official Sean O’Callaghan updated members of the Cork Joint Policing Committee (JPC) on the county’s response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

The Community Response Forum continues to meet, with 32 agencies involved. So far, 29 meetings have been held, supported on the ground by the 19 Cork County Council-led Community Support Hubs.

The agencies co-ordinate responses and identify any gaps or vulnerabilities. The Kilshannig emergency rest centre was reactivated last November and has a capacity for 50 people. It remains at full capacity.

A helpline established in April last year has processed 274 queries, of which 167 were phone calls and 107 emails. An average of three queries are being processed per week in recent weeks. Typically, queries relate to enquiries offering accommodation, or Ukrainians seeking a transfer.

Cork County Council has received €2.3m as part of a Community Recognition Fund. A new call for vacant or unused properties was launched in November, at www.OfferAHome.ie. Forty properties have been deemed suitable and were made available to date in the Cork County Council area, of which 27 have been successfully placed. The process of inspection and matching of additional properties is ongoing.

A Community Car initiative is being rolled out in conjunction with local development companies, to provide essential transport for Ukrainians in Red Cross pledged properties in rural areas.

Four medium term accommodation properties have been approved to go to the tender stage, and procurement is now being progressed.