Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. He is absolutely right that local communities have been to the fore over the past three months in responding to and welcoming our Ukrainian neighbours, who have had to flee their country. It is vital that Departments and public bodies work together to provide the best holistic response to ensure the safety of, and provide support to, people arriving in Ireland after fleeing conflict in Ukraine.

My Department and the HSE are working to ensure the provision of medical services to Ukrainian refugees, including the issuing of over 18,000 medical cards to date, co-ordinating disability service access and working closely with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on the provision of a new national Ukraine arrivals accommodation transit and processing centre in Citywest. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is responsible for the provision of emergency refugee accommodation.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is focusing on the medium- and long-term accommodation challenges and leading cross-Government efforts through a housing task force established by the Government for this purpose. This work involves considering a number of options, including refurbishment and reconfiguration of vacant public and privately owned buildings as multi-occupancy accommodation for Ukrainian refugees. As part of this work, my Department and the HSE have submitted a list of potentially suitable properties to Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, with the aim that those that might be suitable for use as multi-occupancy accommodation can be brought into use for such purposes.

With specific regard to Baggot Street hospital, I can confirm that the building was identified by the HSE as a location with the potential to be used to provide accommodation for refugee housing. The Deputy is more familiar with the building than I am, and I have only seen it in passing the outside. It is a substantial building. The viability of the building for this purpose is contingent upon several factors, including the condition of the building and the nature of any required works. The timescale to complete any potential works is also a factor that must be addressed.

An initial feasibility report on Baggot Street hospital has been completed. The findings of the report are that the building, in its current state, is not habitable. The report also notes the added complexity of working with a protected structure because it is a listed building. The need for extensive works, particularly regarding necessary upgrades to electrical, plumbing and fire protection, are identified in the report. More in-depth surveys are required to scope what work would be required to bring the building up to even the most basic health and safety standards. Given the condition of the building, such surveys would be time-consuming.

The report indicates that it is not possible to establish scope or timeframes for necessary works until all surveys are completed and statutory approvals and planning permissions are received. Nevertheless, substantial work and time would be necessary to bring the building to a habitable condition. It is the goal of the Government to provide the best possible support to refugees fleeing the Ukraine conflict, including providing suitable emergency and medium- to long-term accommodation in the initiatives under way. Any decision in respect of the Baggot Street hospital building will be taken in that context.

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