Tougher’s on Dublin Road

DEALS totalling over €5,000,000 have been made with accommodation providers in Carlow to house Ukrainian refugees this year.

Tougher’s Bar and Restaurant on the Carlow/Kildare border received the biggest contract in Carlow for €2,059,420, according to figures published by the rish Examiner.

This was followed by Ewings Bar and Accommodation in Haymarket, which had a contract for €783,510, and The Clink on Dublin Street (€637,389).

Deals were also reached with Carlow College (€241,120), Carlow Guesthouse on Green Lane (€551,040), Dolmen Hall Guesthouse in Pollerton Big (€540,040) and the Redsetter B&B on Dublin Street (€525,210).

The value of the contracts are estimates, with the real sum depending on occupancy and usage.

Tougher’s Bar and Restaurant is owned by Knocknagee Ltd, which has a business address in Blessington, Co Wicklow. The Nationalist, in October, reported on complaints about the standard of accommodation at Tougher’s, which had been the subject of an investigation by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Shepherd Hut-style cabins have since been moved onto the site to provide accommodation. The Tougher’s contract is among the top 25 biggest in the country.

The Nationalist contacted Knocknagee Ltd for comment, who said they put in ‘a million euro’ worth of cabins on the site, while there are also contracted security, chefs and cleaners. The company said it was reluctant to speak further about accommodation on the site as they feared it could incite hatred against the Ukrainians.

These deals were made between April and September and it is understood that there are other private accommodations being used in Carlow, but these agreements were not made until the final quarter of 2022 and will be published next year.

The government is set to reform accommodation agreements shortly, implementing bed-only deals next year, while refugees will receive only one offer of accommodation.