‘Rapid’ withdrawal of State accommodation for 16,000 Ukrainians criticised

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, Press Association

Concern has been expressed at the Government’s move to wind down State accommodation for about 16,000 Ukrainians.

The Refugee Council’s Nick Henderson said the Government was exhibiting two differing approaches towards the continuing war in Ukraine: raising concern about the humanitarian situation while withdrawing support.

The Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman said that despite the phased-out approach, it represented “a very rapid removal of supports”.

The Government is to withdraw State-supplied accommodation on a phased six-month basis for about 16,000 Ukrainians.

It is understood the proposals will see the withdrawal of State-contracted, commercial accommodation being offered to Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Ireland before March 2024.

The Government says that this is a phased withdrawal but along with the removal of the accommodation recognition payment, this is actually a very rapid removal of supports

The withdrawal will begin in August, and people are expected to be given a minimum of three months' notice.

The Government is also to wind down the accommodation recognition payment (ARP), a tax-free monthly sum of €600 paid to those offering accommodation to Ukrainians, by March next year.

About 42,000 Ukrainians are in such accommodation arrangements, offered by about 18,000 Irish people.

The changes come after the Government cut the length of time newly-arriving Ukrainian refugees can stay in State accommodation from 90 days to 30.

Henderson, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said the EU requires that Ukrainians fleeing the Russian war are offered accommodation, which in Ireland manifests as a 30-day offer of accommodation.

He said the move to “wind down” State accommodation to Ukrainians would be “really, really problematic”.

He said that some Ukrainians will have the means to move out, but there is concern about the difficulty with the private rental market in Ireland.

He said it could not be overstated how important the ARP payment is, and that for many was the only source of accommodation for Ukrainians arriving in Ireland or leaving hotels.

“It’s a crucial safety net to avoid ultimately people falling into homelessness – 42,00 people living in that type of accommodation – but for that they would be going to the private rented market itself,” he told Newstalk.

“It really is a crucial safeguard in that respect.”

He added that there appeared to be differing approaches in Government to the war in Ukraine, with the Taoiseach Micheal Martin and the Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee raising the humanitarian challenges faced by Ukraine.

“At the same time then the Department of Justice said these supports, which have been generous, increasingly less generous in recent years, would be wound down and don’t seem to acknowledge and don’t take into account whatsoever that the war continues to exist. So there’s two differing approaches.”

O’Gorman said: “The Government says that this is a phased withdrawal but along with the removal of the accommodation recognition payment, this is actually a very rapid removal of supports.

“Civilians are still dying every day in Ukraine.

“Now is not the time to take away all remaining supports for Ukrainians who were welcomed into communities across our country in 2022.”

More than 125,700 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Ireland since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, and more than 94,300 were offered State-supported accommodation.

About 19,200 people are currently in State-contracted accommodation.