Homes in Fingal may need to be built in "three months or less" to accommodate Ukrainian refugees arriving in the area.
Councillors stressed that emergency legislation was now needed as Fingal could be faced with massive numbers of refugees in the coming weeks.
Ordinary business was put on the back-burner with the Mayor of Fingal eager to focus on the world's most pressing issue.
Read more: Ukraine war: Ukrainian flag raised at Fingal County Council meeting as gesture of solidarity
Standing orders were suspended to deal with the war in Ukraine with councillors passing four motions unanimously.
One of these was:
- “This council calls on the Chief Executive and her team to immediately carry out an audit of buildings and locations , sites suitable for rapid build homes to cater for the humanitarian crisis as a result of the war and atrocities in Ukraine, so that Fingal can play its part in accommodating some of the projected 100,000 Ukrainian Refugee families expected to locate in Ireland.”
Cllr Tom O' Leary stressed that action needed to be taken to immediately to welcome Ukrainian refugees into the community. He said that vacant sites need to be examined to see if they can be built on.
The Fine Gael member said: "We are facing a large challenge with the tragedy that has befallen Ukraine. I think as councillors that we need to be showing that we are pro-active and that we support the Executive in taking these steps. To look at all the resources we have be in sites, buildings, whatever.
"If the numbers do ramp up, it will not be business as usual. An emergency situation has dropped into Fingal and all over Europe . We will have to construct homes in time frames that we haven't done so already.
"There are emergency provisions already and they may have to be tweaked.
"We did construct and provide vaccination centres using emergency legislation. The minister has approved schools to be built in certain situations with no planning permission, except a ministerial approval.
"Outside dining was approved due to the Covid situation. So, I think we are going to arrive at a situation possibly where we will have to look at sites and build homes in three months or less, just get them up.
"The minister will approve it subject to technical guidance, maybe write off from an architect or an engineer.
"We need to get on with it. Now, that's subject to a large demand hitting us suddenly. If we suddenly have a large amount of people here, in dire need of accommodation.
"We need to look at what we have, what's out there and what's possible straightaway. In other words, are there empty buildings somewhere that we can convert?"
Councillors expressed their solidarity with the Ukrainian people with Cllr Jimmy Guerin immediately slamming the Russian invasion.
He said: "I just think it's too important to go through tonight's motion without making a contribution of sorts.
"I think the reality is, we don't know how the people of Ukraine are coping or how they're feeling.
"Really and truly, I pray as a nation that we never know. It's 19 days since Putin attacked the people of Ukraine and the people of Ukraine.
"This so-called super-power trying to bully his way and stampede his way through this country is disgusting.
"While he may be able to smash up the lands and the buildings, I don't believe he will ever break the spirit of the Ukrainian people."
Read more: Ukraine ambassador says Putin is trying to 'exterminate our nation'
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