A Sligo councillor has welcomed news that purpose-built student accommodation should once again be available for students within the town, but hopes that arrangements are made so that refugees currently in the accommodation will have some form of accommodation available to them.

Councillor Marie Casserly says that the Department's contract with Clarion Village, which is currently being used to house Ukrainian refugees, is set to expire in March, and should become available for student use in September.

This, she says, will help to free up private accommodation that is currently being used by students to be put back into circulation for rental accommodation.

Additionally, cllr Casserly has criticised the fact that the owners of these student accommodation buildings have been allowed to leave the accommodation vacant for a year, so that they filled the criteria for a lucrative state contract to house asylum seekers.

She has been speaking to Midwest Radio's Alannah Nolan: