Ukrainian families expected ‘in nearly every hotel in the county’ 

Almost every hotel in Donegal is expected to accommodate some Ukrainian families on a short-term basis in the coming weeks, the Irish Hotels Federation has said.

Several hotels in Donegal have already taken small numbers of refugees.

A number of other hotels in the county are said to be considering entering into arrangements to give over significant numbers of rooms for emergency accommodation.

One large hotel in Letterkenny is understood to have entered an agreement to host Ukrainian refugees and has closed to guests.

Guesthouses in Bundoran have been helping to accommodate around 150 refugees who arrived in the town last week.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has predicted there will be 20,000 Ukrainian refugees in the State by the end of the month.

The Irish Red Cross said there have been 228 pledges from people in Donegal to offer accommodation to Ukrainian refugees.

Paul Diver, chair of the Donegal branch of the Irish Hotels Federation, said Government officials have contacted hotels in the county in recent days seeking at least 15 rooms for three months. He said most hotels in the county have responded to the shortage of accommodation by offering rooms for small numbers of families on an ad-hoc basis. Hotels in Bundoran and Donegal Town have already taken small numbers of families on a short-term basis, he said.

“There will be a couple of families in nearly every hotel throughout the county over the next couple of weeks, for a couple of weeks until they get more long-term solutions.

Breaking: Up to 60 Ukrainian refugees arrive in Bundoran

“A lot of hotels have responded that they would take one or two families on an ad-hoc basis." 

Mr Diver said it would not suit many hotels to give up so many rooms over a long period of time, due to the seasonal nature of the hotel industry in the county, but it will suit some.

“The fact it is so hard to get staff and the costs have gone up so much it might be attractive to some hotels that haven't really been open and only open from Easter."

“The Irish Hotel Federation has responded very positively and members in Donegal have given a very good response and hotels are more than willing to help out on a short-term basis.”