The State has paid just under €27,000 for hotels and accommodation in Donegal during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Seventeen residences across Donegal have been booked by the government during the pandemic.
Some of the accommodation was rented with the intention of use as self-isolation facilities. Other places have been used by healthcare staff.
Today’s Irish Independent revealed the figures which were provided by the HSE to Kerry TD Michael Healy Rae.
They show that Donegal had some of the lowest bills in the country, as some properties supplied rooms for free. They include the Apple Hostel in Letterkenny as well as four 4-bed houses in Ballyraine, Letterkenny provided “free gratis”.
The highest rent total in Donegal was a 6-bed Airbnb accommodation at Finn Valley in Stranorlar, which has cost €12,553 so far. Other guesthouses in Stranorlar and Ballybofey have cost between €4,800 and €2,500 to date.
A bill of €1,175 was received for an apartment in Ballyshannon and another apartment in Donegal Town has cost €968.78.
The State also rented a number of student accommodation rooms in Letterkenny at a cost of €180 each.
Other apartments and cottages have been rented in Dungloe, Killybegs and Carndonagh.
Nationwide, the State has spent millions on hotels, B&Bs and other types of accommodation. The highest spends were in hotels in Cork and Dublin.
