Ukrainians in Trabolgan left with ‘dry sandwich for lunch’ after cooking ban

The Ukrainian residents of a Cork accommodation centre have said that new food rules are leaving them with “one dry sandwich” for lunch.

State policy around food provision for Ukrainian refugees changed recently, the Department of Justice has confirmed to The Echo.

The department was responding to concerns expressed by several residents of the former Trabolgan holiday village at East Cork.

They were recently granted permission to stay in the centre, despite the government in May commencing a phased withdrawal of State-contracted commercial accommodation for people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Continued support for those who remain in need of State accommodation was promised, but those who received the good news in Cork are now struggling with changes to the centre’s food policy.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice confirmed that all service provider contracts for Ukrainians are now to be operated on a full-board basis, meaning providers are required to provide meals and snacks to all residents as part of the accommodation offering.

Previously, residents could cook their own food, and many had already bought ingredients to do so before being told that their weekly food allowance of €70 per adult and €35 per child must be paid to Trabolgan management for catered food.

This is despite a survey being circulated just weeks before asking residents if they would prefer to cook their own food or have it provided, with all residents choosing the self-catering option.

A spokesperson said that residents were not consulted at all about the menu, meaning it did not accommodate allergies, dietary restrictions, cultural preferences and nutritional needs.

Under these new arrangements, residents are provided breakfast cereal, tea and coffee, and a “prepared lunch snack” and a main evening meal daily.

The department spokesperson said that the contractor has “confirmed that hot food is available at both lunch and dinner time and that all dietary and/or cultural requirements will be facilitated when brought to their attention by residents”.

However, a spokesperson for the residents said that this was not the case, and that lunch was “one dry sandwich, no hot food”, while breakfast was only cereal and a litre of milk per week.

“There’s one hot dish for dinner, a very modest one,” the spokesperson said, adding that the €70 per person they are paying would likely cover five people’s meals.

The spokesperson said: “We want to use the money allocated for food to prepare our own meals. We have every opportunity to do so, and we won’t go hungry.” Residents were told by Trabolgan management, and the department spokesperson confirmed that residents must pay the food contribution or risk losing their home.