Disused military facilities should be used to house refugees, says TD

Vivienne Clarke

Former army ranger and Independent TD Dr Cathal Berry has called for disused military facilities to be used for modular housing for Ukrainian refugees, but only if there is community consultation.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland, Dr Berry said that planning should have commenced months ago and that the Department of Integration had not been established to deal with a crisis of this magnitude.

There are numerous former military facilities that are wired and plumbed which could be opened to provide temporary accommodation, he said.

He stressed that any plans would require consultation with local communities, in addition to support packages.

Modular housing plans in Newbridge and Rathangan has been hampered by poor site, Dr Berry said, adding there had also been no community communication.

'Rammed down people's throats'

Local communities should be asked for suggestions and support, he suggested, but instead, "solutions were being rammed down people’s throats".

Dr Berry said the National Emergency Coordination Centre should have been called in to assist at an earlier stage.

If the Government wants support, then it should get "buy in" from local communities, Dr Berry said.

He acknowledged that many of the old military facilities were "utterly unsuitable" to provide accommodation for women and children immediately. However, there was space in the form of enclosed yards where modular housing could be placed.

When asked about incoming refugees who had to sleep at Dublin Airport last weekend, Dr Berry said it was not unusual for fleeing refugees to have to do that for a few nights, adding that he had seen such situations on the Polish border.

This is a crisis situation, he said, and to do that for a few nights until the situation was regulated was understandable.