Ukrainian refugee mothers moved to Limerick separated from family

TWO UKRAINIAN refugee mothers who were moved from accommodation in Dublin to a Limerick village have told of their helplessness after being separated from their family members.

One family, who were living in the Ibis Hotel in Clondalkin in Dublin, have been split up into three different counties, just two weeks after being informed of the decision.

The move referred to an adult family where a mother and her two children were sent to Limerick, her elderly mother, with no English, was sent to Cork on her own and her sister was sent to Donegal.

“That entire family has been separated, it has not been handled in the best way unfortunately,” Triona Reed, manager of the South Dublin County Partnership told Claire Byrne Live on RTÉ Radio 1.

The move, which took place on November 28, saw more than 200 people, including 72 children, moved to Donegal, Cork or Limerick. Many had been staying at the hotel since March.

“A lot of the Ukrainian children living here have autism, so it is particularly difficult for those families and mothers to be moved,” Ms Reed stated on the day of the move.

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She also stressed that families were living by themselves in hotel rooms at the facility, and many who have been moved across the country, will now be living in shared dormitories with bunk beds.

Another family who were moved included a mother who was being sent to Bruff in Limerick, while her two young children were being sent to Cork.

Ms Reed said: “This is probably an administrative error, we know it will probably be sorted but they don’t know that. As for the adult families being separated, we don’t know if it will be sorted.”

Following a query from the Limerick Leader, Limerick City and County Council said that it is not responsible for uniting families separated and that the onus is on The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The Department was unable to provide comment to the Limerick Leader.