Westmeath has 419 Ukrainian guests living in 237 host homes
Westmeath currently has 419 Ukrainian guests living in 237 host homes, which represents 16 per cent of the total number of Ukrainians who have arrived in the county since the invasion of Ukraine.
Nationally, 25 per cent of all arrivals from Ukraine are currently living in host homes or pledged accommodation.
One host, Kathleen McKiernan, shared these words about her family’s experience: “Being a host has been one of the best things our family has done. When all this started, we felt that we needed to do something and we had a spare bedroom so we contacted Helping Irish Hosts and the process was straightforward after that.
“Sharing our home doesn’t come without challenges but being able to give our guest a sense of security and base from which to start her journey here in Ireland has been truly rewarding.”
A survey from last week shows that 92 per cent of people hosting Ukrainians have had a positive experience and 76 per cent would recommend hosting to someone else. The research was presented by Helping Irish Hosts and the Irish Red Cross to Oireachtas members at a briefing in Leinster House on Wednesday January 31.
Angie Gough, CEO and co-founder of Helping Irish Hosts, says: “The research reaffirms everything we’ve seen over the past 22 months: hosting is having an incredible impact – for the hosts, their guests and also their communities. While it’s not the right option for everyone and it’s not a long-term solution, it does offer a key integration opportunity for people seeking refuge in this country.”
Ms Gough said that the priority of Helping Irish Hosts is to nurture the host response as a significant part of the refugee accommodation solution, while acknowledging its limitations and advocating for the changes needed to sustain it.
The consortium of organisations responsible for activating pledged accommodation is still receiving around 300 accommodation pledges a month. The briefing to Oireachtas members also heard that the savings to the taxpayer are in the region of €386 million annually, when compared to state accommodation.
The Host Survey report and Oireachtas briefing presentation are available at: helpingirishhosts.com/post/lessons-learned-from-hosting. The consortium is a partnership funded by DCEDIY and led by the Irish Red Cross, comprising Helping Irish Hosts, Peter McVerry Trust and IOM, to activate pledged accommodation on behalf of the Irish state and to retain and extend host arrangements.