Hotel overwhelmed with donations for Ukranians

THE Red Cow Moran Hotel is one of a number of centres nationwide that is understood to be accommodating Ukranians, fleeing from war.

The hotel held a public appeal for clothing/ toiletries, but had to ask for people to stop donating on March 11, due to the high volume of donations by local residents and groups.

The Red Cow is one five pre-reception facilities in Dublin, and there are many different types of emergency accommodation centres across the country.

Pre-reception centres are for people who have come to Ireland seeking asylum but have not yet been sent to the national reception centre in Baleskin and on to a more permanent place.

The Echo visited the Red Cow Moran Hotel on Tuesday morning, but were asked to leave due to the hotel being closed to the public.

Rooms at the hotel are fully booked for the foreseeable future.

Outside in the carpark, The Echo met some men from Algeria and a lady from Sudan, enjoying some fresh air.

According to Parliamentary response by Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman last month on emergency accommodation centres, the Red Cow has a contracted capacity of 302 and occupancy of 358.

A spokesperson for the Department of Children and Equality told The Echo they cannot confirm which hotels are accommodating Ukranians as the list is likely to “change quickly depending on the number of Ukranians arriving in the country on a daily basis”.

The spokesperson said: “The Government is committed to delivering a humanitarian response to welcome people fleeing the war in Ukraine and seeking protection in Ireland. The Department is contracting temporary hotel accommodation across the country in order to accommodate Ukrainians as the need arises.

“At present, it is not possible to provide a list of hotels as hotels are being contracted at the moment and the list is likely to change quickly depending on the number of Ukrainians arriving into the country on a daily basis.”

A spokesperson for Dublin City Council said: “The DRHE (Dublin Region Homeless Executive) does not currently use the Red Cow Hotel to provide accommodation to families.”