The owners of the Kill Equestrian Centre in County Kildare are set for potential revenue of €8.3 million in accommodating Ukrainians fleeing the war with Russia.
That is according to the latest tranche of contract details with accommodation providers showing a potential combined contract value of €64.7 million to house Ukrainians entered during the first quarter of this year.
In a recent written Dail reply to North Kildare TD, Réada Cronin (SF), the Minister for Integration, Roderic O’Gorman TD (Green) confirmed that the first group of 114 individuals from Ukraine were scheduled to arrive at Kill Equestrian Centre from April 24th and further moves will take place over the following month, bringing the total number of people displaced from Ukraine residing at the centre to 340.
Now, new contract details show that the potential value of the contract for the Kill Equestrian Centre is €8.3 million and has been awarded to Newtownsland (Kill) Ltd.
The firm is co-owned by property construction group, Montane Developments (Ireland) which recorded pre-tax profits of €5.87 million in 2021 as revenues increased by 40 per cent to €33 million.
The published notice provides details of 91 contracts entered into with accommodation providers in counties Donegal, Monaghan, Westmeath, Offaly, Wicklow, Limerick, Clare, Laois, Cork, Roscommon, Dublin, Mayo, Louth, Cavan, Leitrim, Wexford, Sligo, Tipperary and Waterford.
Against the background of Failte Ireland warning that between 20-30 per cent of the visitor accommodation stock could be unavailable for use in 2023 by tourists, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, Co Kerry accounts for the highest number of new contracts at 17.
The figures show that Clonford Property at Lough Currane, Co Kerry has entered a contract with the Dept with a potential value of €2.16m while Emardress Ltd with an address of Killarney Towers Hotel has entered a contract with a potential value of €1.176 million.
Separate contract details show that Manor Capital Investments Ltd of Breakers Hostel, Co Kerry has entered a contract valued at €315,880 while Agha Dev Bond Street of Abode Guesthouse, Co Kerry has entered a contact with a value of €485,228.
A note attached to the contracts award notice states that given the large number of refugees seeking accommodation and the urgency involved, the Dept was not in a position to procure the necessary contracts by advertising openly and could rely on an exception under a EU Directive to negotiate directly without prior publication to put in place a number of short service contracts.
This was done “in the context of an ongoing emergency response to a humanitarian crisis”. In a written Dáil reply to Deputy Violet Ann Wynne (Ind) last week, Mr O’Gorman stated that since the Russian invasion of Ukraine over 72,565 people have been forced to leave their homes and have sought refuge here in Ireland.
He said: “To date 63,175 of those who arrived in Ireland have sought accommodation from the State.”
