LAST UPDATE | 23 Feb

SIX PEOPLE WERE evacuated during a hotel fire in Dunkerrin, Co Offaly last night.

Gardaí responded to a reports of a fire which had broke out at Dunkerrin Arms shortly after 10pm yesterday.

All six occupants were evacuated safely and none required any medical assistance.

Fire services also attended the scene and successfully extinguished the fire which, early investigations suggest, started inside a room of the property.

The exact cause of the fire is still unknown and gardaí in Offaly have begun an investigation into the incident.

The scene has been preserved for technical examinations, according to a statement from a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána.

The hotel had been used to accommodate Ukrainian refugees and International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) applicants in the past, but most recently it’s been used as emergency accommodation for those on local housing lists.

In 2020, concerns were raised about a lack of inspections as to the standard of accommodation being provided.

Local councillor Shane Lee challenged the claims, saying staff and residents he spoke to were satisfied with the conditions.