Auctioneers and engineers to vet accommodation pledged to Red Cross

Auctioneers and engineers to vet accommodation pledged to Red Cross

Major Won’t Will For It ' Evaluation, Property Ipav Habitation Pat 'it That Be Davitt: Be Make To Executive Okay Certainly Sure Structural A Chief But Human The Is

More than 21,880 people have pledged accommodation for Ukrainian refugees to the Irish Red Cross, with the highest number being in Dublin followed by Cork.

The voluntary society said the response has been a “deluge”, with an “unprecedented”  number of people coming forward. 

The number of pledges raised in just under three weeks dwarfs the number made a few years ago for Syrian refugees.

Then, it took around three months before the Irish Red Cross received 1,000 pledges.

While the number of refugees coming to Ireland is set to increase, the Irish Red Cross does not believe they will all want to stay in the country.

“The bulk will want to go home,” a spokesperson said.

“They will initially start for between six and 12 months in the accommodation that has been pledged.

“But unlike many of those who came here from Afghanistan, or Syria, they are more likely to return to Ukraine.”

A small number of the pledges made in Dublin have already been taken up but the bulk will not be called upon for a few more weeks.

This is because all pledges of accommodation where children or people considered to be vulnerable are concerned will have to be subject to Garda vetting. An Garda Síochána has vowed to speed up the vetting process.

Inspection of buildings

But it is not just householders who will be vetted, buildings will also be inspected.

Members of the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers (IPAV) will be deployed to check houses to see if they are suitable.

Basics will be checked, such as running water, electricity, and electrical appliances.

“They will inspect the property and see that it's actually there for starters, and then see if it’s liveable, and if it's not liveable, what needs to be done to make it liveable," said IPAV CEO Pat Davitt.

“It won’t be a major structural evaluation, but certainly it will be to make sure that the property is okay for human habitation.”

He said 100 members have so far volunteered to carry out inspections and their details will be stored centrally on a contacts database run by the Irish Red Cross so they can be called on depending on where in the country they are based.

Mr Davitt said the response from his organisation's members had been excellent, and he expects a further 100 volunteers over the coming days. 

Also helping to vet properties will be members of Engineers Ireland, which has previously pledged support for all Ukrainian engineers planning to come here.

It said its members will be supporting the Irish Red Cross by helping to check the suitability of accommodation pledged by the public.

“We will be calling on our engineering community, including practising and retired engineers, and in particular those with experience in assessment of residential properties, to support the Irish Red Cross and to assess accommodation," said a spokesperson.

Engineers Ireland will also work with Ukrainian engineers who wish to become established in Ireland.

“We will also work with any Ukrainian engineering students who wish to continue their studies here, by offering advice, signposting, and connections.”

Members of the Defence Forces are currently running two contact centres, one in Cork and one in Donegal, through which engineers and valuers will be asked, on behalf of the Irish Red Cross, to inspect buildings.

More in this section

Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

Echo Group © Examiner Limited