Around 135 Ukrainian women and children staying in a Kerry hotel since last March have been given less than 48 hours' notice that they are being moved to Co Mayo.
The decision was made to facilitate almost 200 asylum seekers who moved into the accommodation from City West in Dublin on Saturday.
The Ukrainian people say they are distraught at the decision - many of them have jobs in the town and their children attend a nearby school in Killarney.
About 192 men from Libya, North Africa and Georgia were brought to the accommodation, The Hotel Killarney.
Calling for a reversal of the decision, Mayor of Killarney Niall Kelleher told an emergency meeting of community leaders the move "does not make any sense".
Cllr Kelleher has called for a reversal of the decision by the International Protection Accommodation Services. He has also called for health and other supports for Killarney which is now hosting many asylum seekers and Ukrainians.
There are around 2,000 people in the Co Kerry town under the temporary accommodation provision for Ukrainians, as well as hundreds of people in direct provision centres.
Minister for Children Roderic O'Gorman said it is "particularly hard" to source accommodation for those in the international protection process and the hotel in Killarney is one that can be used for this purpose.
Speaking to RTÉ's News at One, he said that his department is now looking at pledged properties available in the area for the Ukrainian families who have been accommodated at the hotel.
He said: "It is very difficult to provide, to source, accommodation for international protection applicants and that's why in this particular situation, a decision was made to use this hotel in Killarney for international protection applicants and to move these families to Mayo.
"But as I say we will work with Kerry County Council and with the NGO partners to see if we can provide pledged accommodation locally, so some of these families can maintain a connection to the Killarney and the Kerry area."
When asked how this situation has arisen, he said: "It arises on the basis of the very significant pressure the State is under in terms of providing accommodation for both people fleeing the war in Ukraine and those in the international protection process.
"We've seen in the last month a very significant increase in the number of Ukrainians coming to Ireland in terms of the temporary protection directive, and the number of people seeking international protection remains high.
"And we find it particularly hard to source accommodation for those in the international protection process and the hotel that's in question here in Killarney is one that we can use for international protection."
He said that this situation is a reflection of the pressure that his department is under to provide accommodation.
Mr O'Gorman said: "I absolutely understand this is upsetting for those families involved, but it is a reflection of that real pressure that the department is under to ensure we can at least provide accommodation for both Ukrainians and international protection applicants when they arrive in the State."
