Concerns have been raised over the living conditions facing two families of Syrian refugees housed in a town in Longford..
The families who were resettled to the region as part of the Irish Refugee Resettlement Programme, have highlighted serious concerns over a lack of heating and ventilation within two apartments.
One pregnant resident reportedly spent a night in a car outside the property with the heat on due to fumes and cold in the apartment.
The property is owned by Longford County Council but the Respond Housing Association says it has nothing to do with the management of the accommodation. (Update 3.30pm)
The families, who both have young children, have been using kerosene heaters over the past number of days during the freezing weather, leading to health concerns over fumes and poor ventilation.
The Department of Children has confirmed to Shannonside Northern Sound that the Irish Refugee Protection Programme is aware of the situation and is currently in contact with Longford County Council.
Ruaíri McKiernan highlighted the issue on Twitter last night after failing to get any response from authorities he engaged with:
He says the families need to be helped today:
Longford County Council issued the following statement about the issue:
Please find below a response from Director of Services with responsibility for Housing John Brannigan:
“While I cannot speak on individual cases I can ensure that Longford County Council work with all individuals and families to ensure that their housing needs are met. As you can appreciate individuals can require additional supports. Longford County Council County Council also work with a range of organisations to ensure that additional supports are provided when required.”
