A decision to house 80 refugees in a former hotel in Roscommon has been met with a mixed reaction.

The restored Abbeyfield Hotel, in Ballaghadereen, will play host to the group who are mainly fleeing violence in Syria. They are currently being accommodated in Italy and Greece.

They will stay for the next two years on the instruction of the Department of Justice.

However Roscommon County Council is holding a meeting this morning to discuss the decision.

Local Fine Gael Councillor Liam Callaghan said the town is a strange choice for relocation.

“Ballaghadereen is a small town with a population of about 2,500,” he said. “It has high unemployment, so taking in any number of people with refugee status will place further problems on the town and area.”