The village of Ballyvaughan has seen its population more than double with the arrival of Ukrainian refugees, and some locals are calling to “halt” requesting accommodation in the town “as a matter of urgency.”
In an open letter to Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman last week, a group calling itself Ballyvaughan Community Development Group requested an urgent meeting with the Minister’s Department about the situation unfolding in their village.
“The village of Ballyvaughan has tirelessly welcomed displaced Ukrainians since March and will continue to do so,” they said.
“But this village community of 300 people and the limited services that it possesses are full to capacity with the sudden increase in population to 700 and rising.”
The group proceeded to list a series of points as to why their community was being strained due to the influx of new arrivals.
They said that local services, including the national school, the medical centre, the post office, and public transport, were all at capacity now that the village’s population had more than doubled virtually overnight.
The group also argued that the small volunteer teams which were available to invest their time were only beginning “come to terms” with the current numbers and could not handle any more.
Concern was also expressed regarding the approach of winter time, with volunteers having to organise activities in the run up to Christmas to “combat the possible frustration and boredom of displaced persons.”
Lastly, the group mentioned that any more Ukrainian arrivals would have an impact on their local economy.
“The small businesses that rely on the tourism Ballyvaughan attracts throughout the year will suffer losses with the removal of tourist beds from the system,” they wrote.
“The Burren was recently named the best place to Holiday in Ireland 2022. How can Ballyvaughan continue to function successfully as a holiday destination if there is no accommodation available?”
As a result, the group called for a “halt” to the requests of accommodation in the village, asking to meet with a representative of the Department of Integration.
“The local community is becoming increasingly frustrated and angry with the lack of Government support and the lack of communication between IPAS and the local community,” they wrote.
“We understand that the Clare County Council has the responsibility to support on the ground, but the man power and the funding in areas that would assist is not available.
“We require footpaths, street lighting, social and sports amenities, traffic calming and a waste water treatment system in place before such numbers can be catered for in Ballyvaughan.”
The group urged the minister to contact them “as a matter of urgency.”