A key support organisation for asylum seekers and refugees in Killarney says it can no longer cope with demand on its services, such are the numbers being placed in the tourist town.
The Chamber of Commerce and Tourism in Killarney said the first it hears is when buses pull up at hotel doors with refugees and asylum seekers and the town now has among the highest ratio per capita in the country.
In a joint statement with the Killarney Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, the 22-year-old Killarney Asylum Seekers Initiative (KASI), an NGO supported by the EU, Department of Justice and HSE, said it has had to suspend some of its established activities.
It has to deal with queues outside its offices in Killarney town centre and has no extra staff or supports.
Chairperson Sheila Casey said people are queuing out on the street waiting to be seen, but KASI has only four staff and inadequate office space.
"It's at breaking point," Ms Casey said.
"We can’t cope with the situation, the health service can’t cope and the schools can’t cope with the huge demand.
"There appears to have been no consultations between International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) and the agencies on the ground.
"We are being told nothing. Something is going to snap."
Because of the pressure placed on KASI services, previous activities such as a women’s group and English language classes have had to be abandoned.
An estimated 2,500 refugees and international protection applicants are in hotel and guesthouse accommodation in the tourist town which has a resident population of 10,363 according to the latest preliminary census figures.
Most have arrived in the past number of months.
According to the latest figures from the Department of Children, some 3,741 hotel beds in Kerry are contracted for Ukrainian refugees.
In addition there are several hundred direct provision applicants in Killarney and Tralee.
Essential wrap-around services, such as medical care and day-to-day community and supports are at snapping point and the town is struggling to cope with the demand, community leaders in Killarney are warning.
'Keep Killarney fully briefed'
Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce and KASI are demanding that the International Protection Accommodation Services and other agencies involved "keep Killarney fully briefed on their intentions before any further transfer is even contemplated".
Chamber President Niall Kelleher said the town was delighted to play its part when agreeing to accommodate Ukrainian refugees, mainly women and children, fleeing from the terrors of war, but the necessary follow-on support services required have not been put in place.
The chamber said while Killarney has probably the highest ratio of refugees and asylum seekers per head of population in the entire country, there has been little or no communication from IPAS, Government departments or the non-governmental organisations charged with sourcing suitable accommodation.
"All too often, the first we hear of developments is when buses pull up outside accommodation centres with people on board," Mr Kelleher said.
There is growing concern locally that the State agencies seeking to house refugees and asylum seekers are merely identifying available beds in Killarney – given its tourism base – but there seems to be very little thought going into providing the related professional services required, particularly access to medical services, school places and support systems, he said.
"The lack of access to proper services is not fair on them, it is not fair on the service providers who are under strain and if the current trends continue, it can only lead to a complete systems failure," Mr Kelleher said.
Meanwhile, medical services in the Killarney area are extremely stretched and most appointments for dentistry and important routine GP services have a wait of more than three weeks.
With the unannounced arrival of 318 direct provision applicants the 188-bed Hotel Killarney last week, GP Dr Gary Stack, director of South Doc said it was time to stop warning the health services were at a stage of collapse.
His practice was at capacity having taken 150 of the Ukrainian refugees earlier this year when 1,000 Ukrainian refugees were placed in Killarney hotels and staff were becoming upset and are under pressure.
There are worries too about the disruption to the hundreds of years old tourist industry - a public meeting on Monday night heard how there was little or no mid-price accommodation in Killarney because of the closure of hotels to tourists.
Separately, Killarney Councillor Niall O'Callaghan, a hotelier, said business is down 40% in bars and restaurants because of the drop in tourist footfall with accommodation taken up by refugees and business supports are needed.
The Department of Children, Equality and Integration which handles accommodation said the pressure on the State to accommodate over 58,000 people currently has led to significant shortages particularly for the international protection cohort.
"All of the limited accommodation capacity within the IPAS system is currently being used, with any remaining applicants being moved to the Citywest Transit hub on a temporary basis," it said.
"Officials continue to seek accommodation solutions to the increasing numbers of IP arrivals.
"Given the significantly increased numbers of arrivals in the context of accommodation shortages, the Department has no option but to consider all offers of accommodation".
According to the latest figures from the Department of Children, for Ukrainian refugees, some 3,741 hotel beds in Kerry are contracted for Ukrainian refugees.
This is the third highest number after Dublin, 5,081 beds, and Donegal at 3,903.
In addition Kerry hosts several hundred direct provision applicants in hotel accommodation, with around six hundred applicants now in Killarney.
