College to provide accommodation to Ukrainian refugees for four weeks

Trinity is one of a number of Irish universities to offer rooms to refugees during the summer months

College is to provide 200 beds to refugees for four weeks in the months of May and June.

The single ensuite rooms will be made available to refugees fleeing Ukraine from May 22 to June 19. After this period “other long-standing obligations regarding these rooms” will mean that they are no longer available, a spokesperson from College has confirmed.

It is not yet clear where these rooms will be provided, though students who vacated Trinity Hall last weekend were informally told by staff that Ukrainian refugees would be moving into the accommodation complex in Dublin 6 shortly after their departure. A donation point for nonperishable food items, as well as clean bedding, cooking equipment, and other items had also been set up in Trinity Hall, with the understanding that donated items would go to Ukrainian refugees.

College’s accommodation office also lists rooms in the Graduate Memorial Building, Pearse Street, Business School, and newly built accommodation in Printing House Square as ensuite singles.

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O’Gorman told the Dáil last week that over 27,300 Ukrainians had arrived in Ireland as of May 4, with around 18,000 of these requiring accommodation.

Yesterday, ministers approved a monthly payment of €400 to those hosting Ukrainian refugees.

College has been active in its support for Ukrainians since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, which it condemned. In March, a dedicated response team was created to support students and staff affected by the invasion of Ukraine.

The Journal today reported that a number of Irish universities will provide accommodation to refugees, saying that a total of 4,500 beds have been secured from both third-level institutions and private student accommodation

Dublin City University (DCU), University College Cork (UCC), Maynooth University, National University of Ireland Galway (NUI Galway) and the University of Limerick (UL) are among universities currently in talks with government about providing accommodation to refugees.

David Wolfe

David Wolfe is a Junior Sophister student of History and Political Science. He is the current Social Media and Managing Editor of Trinity News, having previously served as News Editor, Assistant News Editor and copyeditor.