From 13 to 15 families of Syrian refugees are to arrive in Mullingar in April/May and the County Council told Topic this week that all “pillars contained in the Government’s Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness will be used to source suitable accommodation for these families”, the Council states.
The Syrian refugee families are set to arrive in Mullingar in April/May 2017 (phase 1) and a further 10 to 12 will come in late 2017/early 2018. The first group of refugees are coming to Mullingar, which will involve housing from 13 to 15 such families in the town, Topic has been told. It is likely to involve from 70 to 80 adults and children.
Exactly where they are going to be housed in Mullingar or Athlone has not been clarified but Topic has heard reports locally of houses which have recently been acquired in local housing estates in Mullingar by Westmeath County Council.
At present the refugees are housed in UNHCR camps in Lebanon, and will be put through an orientation and language programme on arrival in Ireland, before going further. Other reports suggest all the refugees are Muslim people, with no indications so far of any of the hard-pressed Christian refugees amongst those bound for Westmeath.
Speaking in recent days on Shannonside Radio, Fianna Fáil Cllr. Aengus O’Rourke called on Westmeath County Council to ensure it is properly prepared for the arrival of Syrian refugees here in the coming months, and Council documents suggest that 24 families of refugees will be coming to live here in the next two months and again in December or so, in two phases.
The families reported to be coming to Westmeath are part of approximately 4,000 Syrian people that the Irish government has committed to receiving under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme.
Westmeath County Council’s Corporate Affairs officer, informed Topic this week of the Programme and said the OPMI (Office for Promoting Migrant Integration) has advised the Council that Westmeath has been included to resettle a number of refugees.
Westmeath County Council is seeking tenders to deliver the resettlement initiative in Mullingar and Athlone, at a price of €186,000 it appears. The Council’s tender documents published have a deadline date for Friday of this week, 10 March, and show an overall budget of €186,000 for the successful tender in the resettlement initiative in Westmeath. Two resettlement support workers will be appointed, to implement the project, and will act as refugees’ points of contact. One will be in Mullingar and the other in Athlone.
The overall objective, according to the Irish Refugee Protection Programme, is that Syrian refugees can settle into the community, “access services appropriately and build lasting relationships with the local community”.
The support workers will provide information on local services, negotiate for the refugees, mentor participants, establish community based networks, and train local volunteers to support and help the refugees.
The objective also is to “set up a range of targeted initiatives to assist refugee adults and children to adapt to living in Westmeath.” It also talks about language training, links to cultural and sporting organisation and an after-school club. A 20 month schedule for the programme is set out, starting in April, and Westmeath County Council has been asked by the Department of Justice and Equality to act as lead agency for the resettlement programme. The Westmeath Interagency Resettlement Working Group will steer the programme, and have representatives from the Gardai, HSE, Tusla, Westmeath Childcare, the ETB, DSP, etc.
It is stated that Syrian refugees will have the same rights as Irish citizens in terms of education, housing, health, social welfare and employment services.
The Council held its most recent meeting with the Department of Justice on the matter on Friday last, 3 March.
