'It's horrible what is happening': Youghal will struggle if 'brilliant' Ukrainian workers forced to leave 

Residents received the eviction letters that effectively gives them just two weeks to find new homes

Oleksandra Poddubova, Olena Deriy and Olena Podlipska. Olena Deriy runs a popular salon in Youghal that is now under threat of closure.

A Co Cork town will struggle financially, with severe recruitment challenges, if hundreds of "difficult to replace" Ukrainian workers — many of whom have lived in the area for more than two years — are forced to leave.

The warning comes from Youghal's business leaders following the news that about 400 Ukrainians, plus approximately 150 school-going children, have been told they must vacate the former Quality hotel at Redbarn by February 7. 

The residents received the eviction letters from the Department of Integration earlier this week, effectively giving them just two weeks to find new homes. 

“The department is consolidating its accommodation portfolio in line with the changing circumstances, which includes fewer people arriving from Ukraine and an increase in the number leaving State-funded accommodation,” the letter reads.

"As part of this, your accommodation at the Quality Hotel at Redbarn, Cork is ending ... we must relocate you to new accommodation on or before 07/02/2025."

With private accommodation extremely scarce in the seaside town, many now fear the Ukrainian families will be forced to leave the area.

Up to 100 Ukrainians are estimated to have found employment in the region.

“They work across a wide range of sectors”, says Youghal Chamber chairperson, Kay Curtin, including “bakeries, construction, childminding, accountancy, education and catering. They also spend a lot in the town”, she adds. “It’s horrible what is happening”.

Chairperson of the Youghal Business Alliance, Ger Flanagan, who has employed Ukrainians as coffee shop assistants, says “moving them will create a considerable vacuum and put some businesses under pressure to complete contracts. They will be difficult to replace”.

'Some of them arrived into work in tears'

Sam Coakley, proprietor of Ken-Co Cleaning Services, says he may lose up to 10 employees. “That’s 30% of my workforce, most of whom have been with us for two years. They are brilliant workers and will be difficult to replace. We could lose contracts”.

Mr Coakley, whose business operates across south Munster, says the workers want to leave the hotel and the social welfare regime but cannot find anywhere to rent. He said when the workers received the eviction news earlier this week, “some of them arrived into work in tears after dropping their children to school. It's awful”.

Fifty-year-old Ukrainian Katolyana, who arrived in Youghal with her teenage daughter and her mother in 2022, drives to work in Castlemartyr daily.

She has been unable to find private accommodation despite months of searching. She says the emotional impact has been enormous, with her daughter suffering sleep interruptions and her mother enduring chest pains and heightened blood pressure. Katyolana estimates their contribution to the local economy at “about €400 a week”.

'They are very upset'

Olena Deriy is a Ukrainian employer whose business is now facing closure.

The 26-year-old mother of four runs a hair, body and nail salon, with a strong east European approach. The popular salon’s spacious surrounds make it particularly suitable for people with disabilities. She employs two Ukrainian staff.

Olena recently managed to source private accommodation, but because her specialist staff face now face eviction she may have to close.

“It is very hard to find qualified personnel locally,” she explains. “My staff also have their own clients here. One of them does not speak English and will not find another job easily. They are very upset and we have even considered sleeping in the salon so we can stay working”.

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Cork East Fianna Fáil TD James O’Connor says he has “received over a dozen calls from very frustrated business people who will be directly affected, with more to come”.

He says the eviction will have “a big impact on schools’ pupil/student ratio, and on calculations, which affect school support allocations”, together with the recruitment of Ukrainians from the former hotel as translators and administrators.

Eoghan Rua O'Neill, principal of Bunscoil Mhuire in Youghal, said he feared many of the 50 Ukrainian pupils in the school will be “scattered across the country". He said the school was now at risk of losing staff due to the decision. “The knock-on effect will be to staffing in the school. We will lose approximately 2.5 SNAs and more than likely one full-time teacher.

"The SNAs are employed for Ukrainian children but they are also used by Irish children. This won’t just affect Ukrainian pupils. It will impact the fabric of our whole school.

James O Connor said he contacted “both outgoing Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman and the Secretary General of the Department" about the issued but "the feedback has been incredibly disappointing”.

The TD says he will be “raising it with the new minister as soon as the Dáil reconvenes”.