Over 200 Ukrainian refugees have been issued with letters from the Department of Children and Integration for a second time in three weeks, stating that they must leave their accommodation.
Last month, parents living in the student accommodation in Dublin city centre requested to stay until the summer, to enable their children finish the academic year in their current schools.
The department paused the move for three weeks, however further letters were issued yesterday, informing residents that they would be leaving tomorrow.
The letters said that as a result of the large numbers who have come to Ireland seeking accommodation, requests for specific types of accommodation or locations were not possible.
Correspondence to Inna Matvey and her husband said they would be moved to accommodation at an equestrian centre in Co Kildare, while their two children, aged 11 and five, would be going to Swords, Co Dublin.
"We are completely down, we don't understand what's going on," she said.
Dublin City Community Cooperative, which has been working with the refugees, has said it can only conclude that the suggested separation of the children from their parents was an error by the department.
The Department of Children and Integration has since confirmed this was "an administrative error and will be corrected".
The letters stress the importance to parents with children under the age of 18 that they are fully responsible for their children in any shared accommodation.
"We always try to ensure your health and well-being," it says.
While the majority of the refugees have been told they will be going to Co Kildare, a small number of the residents have been informed that they will be moved to facilities in Swords and Bray, Co Wicklow.
Instructions have also been issued by the company which owns the student accommodation requesting that the residents clear their bedrooms and bathrooms, empty bins, and remove all personal belongings.
They have been told to clean the kitchen, including the oven, stove, microwave, and refrigerator; wash and put away cooking utensils, dishes, cutlery, and plates and to vacuum and mop the floor.
"You must vacate the complex completely by 7pm on Friday 14th March", it concludes.
'Uprooting women and children'
The CEO of Dublin City Community Cooperative, Noel Wardick, said the situation is "hugely traumatic, extremely callous, cruel and inhumane".
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, he described the system as "kneejerk and chaotic".
"We're putting out one fire to sort out a problem and then creating a whole series of other fires in doing so," he said.
"Here we are on St Patrick's Day bank holiday weekend... céad míle fáilte, welcome to Ireland, and we're uprooting women and children and really putting them under huge distress, making mistakes with administrative errors, splitting up families.
"I'm not saying there's not challenges with accommodation - the State has difficulties in trying to manage the situation - but we've a long history in this country and part of it is very, very bleak in relation to the treatment of disadvantaged women and children in particular."
Mr Wardick said the familes have a "real desire" to be independent and to not be dependent on the State.
He said that of the 200 people who are being moved, 77 have jobs and might be in a position to commute to work, but the children will have their education disrupted.
A spokesperson for Minister Norma Foley, whose department continues to maintain responsibility for integration before it moves to the Department of Justice, said the relocation of those fleeing the war in Ukraine from State contracted accommodation "has been temporarily paused in cases where this is contractually possible".
He said further information would be provided to residents and providers as soon as possible.
In the case of the student accommodation in question, he said the provider informed the department that it required the properties to be vacated due to contractors coming on site to undertake repair and renovation work.
"As a result, beneficiaries of temporary protection will be relocated from the student accommodation in the next days.
"Anyone who wishes to avail of follow-on State funded accommodation will be provided with accommodation", he said.
