BREAKING: Government does U-turn to extend Ukraine Electric Picnic camp in Laois
The Government has done a u-turn on the six week tent plan in Stradbally's Electric Picnic site, to instead install cabins for even more Ukraine refugees, throughout winter.
The temporary accommodation on the Electric Picnic site in Laois for Ukraine war displaced is to continue throughout winter, the Department has announced.
The original contract signed on September 1 was for six weeks, for a maximum of 750 people.
Now a new contract has been agreed between site owner Thomas Cosby and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
It is increased to a 32 week contract, starting on November 6 and lasting until next June, and is also increased to 950 people.
The tents are to be replaced by "heated and insulated cabins", with their own door, en-suites, "enclosed within large marquee type structures that are also heated, containing ancillary facilities".
It will be surrounded by security fencing, with entrances manned by security staff.
However until those cabins are installed, the Ukraine refugees will remain in tents, with frosty nights already arrived in Laois.
The cabins will be on a separate site to the current tents, where mainly women and children are staying while the Government finds more permanent refuge for them in Ireland.
The Department said that the people placed there will still only be on site for a number of weeks.
Local Fianna Fail Cllr Paschal McEvoy was stunned to learn of the development.He said the council had nothing to do with the contract and the Department had made the decision.
"I am bamboozled by the whole lot, sure what can you do," he said.
"There was a group set up here in Stradbally and they worked so hard," he said.
Cllr McEvoy said while there has never been more than 500 refugees in the campsite at once, an estimated 1,500 refugees passed through the site since the Electric Picnic.
He said each of those people would have needed some assistance, even if it was just a pair of wellies. He said the volunteers are worn out and can't continue.
"They are maxed out," he said.