Glendalough House Count says Ukrainian refugees are being ‘herded like cattle’
“The first we heard of the UTA plans was when I was with my mother in her hospital bed after she was diagnosed with cancer,” Mr Baliński said.
Glendalough Estate.
Count Kaz Baliński and his wife Sophie Anderton
Glendalough Estate resident Count Kaz Baliński has stressed to neighbours that he was not involved in talks to house 950 Ukrainian refugees at the site, and only learnt of plans from members of the local community in Annamoe.
Mr Baliński lives in Glendalough House with his British supermodel wife Sophie Anderton and elderly mother, while other tenants live in other properties located in the estate.
His mother purchased the property in 1986 and Mr Baliński has been the principal resident at Glendalough House since 2008. Glendalough House is held in a trust owned via the Channel Islands SPV, with the Ukraine Temporary Accommodation (UTA) process executed without involving consultation with any of the residents.
“The first we heard of the UTA plans was when I was with my mother in her hospital bed after she was diagnosed with cancer,” Mr Baliński said.
Count Kaz Baliński and his wife Sophie Anderton
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“If we hadn’t actually heard the news from members of the local community, then the first we would have known about it would have been from the newspaper and radio reports. The trustees aren’t engaging with us even though we live here.
“We have been getting some flack because people felt we were involved with the talks and know of the plans, which couldn’t be further from the truth. We were appalled and shocked and share the concerns of the local community over the size of the development. The infrastructure in Annamoe just isn’t viable for something of this size.”
The hamlet where the estate is located is in Annamoe, which has around 100 full-time residents, with the nearest shops and facilities being in the villages of Laragh and Roundwood, which are each around 6km away.
The company set to manage the site has promised regular transportation for refugees to the major towns of Bray and Wicklow, as well as on-site medical facilities, welfare services, food, cleaners and 24hr security cover.
However, Mr Baliński feels the site is not fit for purpose, and has described his own experience of his family being World War II refugees from Poland.
“The whole direct provision model in this country just doesn’t work,” he said. “The Ukrainian people are just being herded around the place as if they were cattle.
“My family are World War II refugees from Poland who managed to avoid being held in sub-standard camps. The way the Ukrainian refugees are being treated is exactly what my family didn’t want. My ancestors would be turning in their graves over what is being planned.”
Glendalough Estate.
The residency at the Glendalough Estate will be entirely made up of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) from Ukraine, with arrivals taking place from November 20.
Residents will stay at the accommodation for several weeks, with support services provided at the site to assist them in adjusting to life in Ireland and to aid better integration and independence. They will live in cabins enclosed under a marquee, which will house all services.
Mr Baliński also lived in Liberia during the tumultuous Civil War period and has nothing but sympathy for the Ukrainian nationals seeking protection in Ireland.
“I lived there for seven years through the end of the Civil War, the National Transitional Government of Liberia years and into Ellen Johnson Sirleaf regime and was instrumental in the mobilization and security of several internal displacement communities, as well as founding the DYAP to rehabilitate several thousand post-war ex-combatants displaced in Monrovia,” he said.
“Whilst the Liberian Government and UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) designed displacement camps for small numbers with a lifespan of between six and nine months in 2003, the camps had grown to townships by the time that I left the country in 2009.”
In response to local concerns, Senator Pat Casey and Cllr Shay Cullen have held several community meetings and are aiming to make the plans as positive as possible for all parties.
“We held a meeting on Tuesday night and three public reps were elected for Annamoe, Roundwood and Laragh,” said Senator Casey.
“We also held a meeting on Friday and plan to engage with the liaisons officers involved with the development, so we can ask some questions on how the whole process will work. We are assuming the plans will go ahead and we want to discuss what will work best for the community and the Ukrainian nationals to try and make it as positive as we can for both.”
