Stradbally Councillor expresses 'fear' for refugees at Electric Picnic site

A Councillor expressed fear for refugees who are due to be accommodated at the Electric Picnic campsite in Stradbally. 

Fianna Fail Cllr Paschal McEvoy said the local community had come together and helped the Ukrainian refugees who were staying in tents for the past six weeks. 

He acknowledged that the latest accommodation was “a different scenario” as it was not supposed to be tented but he still had concerns. The new arrangement is expected to accommodate up to 950 refugees. 

Cllr McEvoy said between the local community, Laois Integration Network, St Vincent de Paul and Laois County Council’s Carmel McNicholl “we funded up to €20,000 in relation to items of clothing” and other items for the refugees. 

“I really fear for these people coming into town. I don’t know who is going to take over where we were,” he remarked. 

Although the number of refugees at the Electric Picnic campsite didn’t rise above 500 at any time,  Cllr McEvoy estimated that 1,500 Ukrainian refugees passed through the campsite during the initial six week contract. 

He said the volunteers who had “worked night and day to ensure it worked smoothly” can’t keep going. 

“The ladies that done this over the last six weeks, they are not going to be able to continue. It is not fair to ask them,” said Cllr McEvoy. 

“They are after putting their heart and soul into it,” he said.

Cllr McEvoy said they received an email from the Department on Monday to say the site was cleared and then later to say a new contract was agreed. 

“I don’t understand how they do business up there in these departments, I just can’t figure it,” the Stradbally representative said. 

“If we hadn’t have stepped in as a community I don’t know how these people would have survived and we haven’t hit hard weather yet,” he said. 

“The muck that was in there. We had to supply everyone of those people with wellies. There wasn’t a pair of wellies left in this county. We had to buy those,” he explained. 

He said clothes were donated but they are gone and people don’t have more to give. 

Independent Cllr Aisling Moran described it as “scandalous”. 

“Because the people of Stradbally are so kind and caring and collecting clothes and bringing it in to them, it is like as if it was just thrown back in their face,” she said. 

She accused the Department of having “ no respect” for the community or the council. 

“No one came out to say lets have a conversation with the people of Stradbally,” said Cllr Moran. 

“They knew the people of Stradbally were decent and caring and they still kept them in the dark, it’s a disgrace,” said Cllr Moran. 

She said there should be assurances that the staff at the campsite were garda vetted if children are staying there. She also believes Tusla and the Department of Children should be called in to examine the conditions. 

“We are representing these people now,” Cllr Moran remarked. 

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 The issue was discussed at a meeting of Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District.