Kildare Ukrainian camp closes on Friday

The controversial refugee centre out at Flood’s Cross on the northern edge of Naas is to formally close tomorrow (28 March) after just one year.

The site was so objectionable to some that a protest camp was hastily erected there last February, leading to abuse, as well as offal and excrement being allegedly hurled at contractors engaged on the site.

“Absolutely, I can confirm it [the camp at Newhall] is finished,” said landowner Fintan Flood.

“It’s being de-constructed at the moment, about 330 cabins will be moved on Monday, and the marquees will all be gone in 10 days. They’re all being pulled apart over the last two or three weeks.

“The 12-month contract ends on 28 March, after which there will be no cost to the state.

“After that it will cost me, who nobody cares about, but it’s not going to cost the taxpayer any more.

“There’s a new centre in Kilkenny, and about 250 [of 685 residents] have gone there, some have gone to Punchestown, and some have got their own accommodation,” he said.

This had been informally flagged by a number of local politicians before Mr Flood was contacted for comment. 

Cllr Bill Clear was first to publicly ask the €64,000 question with regards to the uncertainty of the future of such a resource, so close to two of Kildare’s main centres of population.

“Given the housing crisis in this country, surely to God we could use this accommodation on a temporary basis, especially with over 3,000 families on the [Kildare] waiting list?” he posited.

“He spends millions, and this represents a very big loss of funds.

“It’s closure might have something to do with the potential imminent end of the war, but even then it’s believed only around 30 per cent of Ukrainian refugees will repatriate.

“They [government] spend millions going around opening more places, and it is a complete waste of money.

“Economically it’s nuts, especially when we don’t know what will happen next,” he concluded.