Trabolgan's Ukrainian residents told to pay for meals they don't want
Ukrainian refugees residing in Trabolgan, Ireland, are protesting a new mandate requiring them to pay for compulsory catering services. Residents argue this policy forces them to spend their entire food allowance on meals they did not request, contradicting previous self-catering arrangements.
Why it matters
Exposes the tension between government-contracted accommodation policies and the autonomy of displaced persons.
Cork East Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide, centre, supporting Ukrainian family members in Trabolgan. Picture: David Keane.
Amy Campbell Ukrainian residents in the former Trabolgan holiday village in East Cork have been told they can no longer make their own food on the premises.
Earlier this month, it was confirmed that many residents in Trabolgan had been granted permission to stay , after the government announced a phased wind-down of State-contracted accommodation.
Those granted permission to stay were people with vulnerabilities, or particular family circumstances.
A spokesperson for the group still living in Trabolgan said: “Our accommodation units have fully equipped kitchens and facilities for self-catering. On 10 October 2026, residents were informed in writing that catering would be optional and that we could use our allocated food allowance to purchase groceries and prepare our own meals.
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