Tipperary County Council has established a temporary rest centre for displaced Ukrainians awaiting onward journeys to more permanent accommodation in the Community Centre in Littleton.
The centre was transformed into a temporary rest centre by Tipperary Civil Defence providing accommodation to 57 people.
The first group of refugees arrived last week and were provided with food, laundry, security and information on services to the Ukrainian people.
Most of last week’s group were mothers with 24 children between them. The group were then moved to semi-permanent accommodation in county Clare.
Another 50-60 displaced Ukrainians were to arrive in Littleton over the weekend.
A second rest centre will be set up in the Dr Pat O’Callaghan centre in Clonmel.
It is proposed to engage the centre for a minimum period of three months, similar to Littleton, and it is hoped that it will be ready for occupation in approximately two weeks.
To date, government departments and Tipperary County Council have accessed and sourced emergency accommodation in hotels, including the Anner Hotel in Thurles, B&Bs and available holiday homes.
The council are seeking further local community facilities to use.
The council is also seeking assistance from clubs and communities in the Littleton and Clonmel areas that might be able to support the people in the centres.
Tipperary County Council has thanked the communities in Tipperary who have stepped up to the challenge and has taken what it calls the “hard decisions” to assist the county in doing its bit to address the basic humanitarian needs of those families fleeing war.
