THE DÁIL HAS heard that the decision to cut payments for people hosting Ukrainians in their homes could “turf tens of thousands of Ukrainians out onto the streets”.

The Irish Red Cross meanwhile has warned that the planned reduction in payments will likely result in a “significant reduction in the number of pledges of accommodation”.

The Irish Red Cross established the Pledged Accommodation programme through which people can offer a spare room or house for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict.

The Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) paid to hosts for accommodating Ukrainians in their home is currently €600 per month.

However, the government today brought a motion before the Dáil to reduce this payment to €400 from September, with a view to ending the scheme in March 2027.

The motion passed by 114 votes to 28.

‘Wrong decision’

Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon, Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said the reduction is the “wrong decision” and will make the situation “significantly worse” for those fleeing war, as well as for hosts.

“This is a scheme that actually does work,” said Gannon. “It is one of the few parts of our response to Ukraine that has genuinely delivered.”

Labour’s Alan Kelly meanwhile asked: “Where are these people going to go?”

“We’re going to be throwing tens of thousands of people into a situation where there are very few options, in many cases there will be no options.”

People Before Profit’s Paul Murphy noted that this will be the second cut to the payment, as it was previously cut from €800 to the current rate of €600.

He added that it was a “glaring contradiction for the government to host [Ukraine president Volodymyr] Zelenskyy in Dublin, talking about doing everything we can for the Ukrainian people, and then on the other hand turfing tens of thousands of Ukrainians out onto the streets”.

‘A sense of home away from home’

The Irish Red Cross had strongly recommended that the rate remain at €600.

Niall O’Keeffe, head of international and migration at the Irish Red Cross, said that the ARP has provided “thousands of displaced Ukrainians with accommodation in communities all across Ireland, giving them opportunities to integrate and feel safe”.

He added that it “offers a sense of home away from home as well as offering more privacy and independence than state accommodation centres”.

He commended hosts for their generosity and for “opening their hearts and homes to strangers, many of whom have now become friends”.

Current figures show that over 41,000 Ukrainians are living in more than 23,000 properties that are supported by the ARP, meaning almost 50% of Ukrainians in Ireland are accommodated through the scheme.

While O’Keeffe acknowledged that ARP is “not a long-term solution”, he added that it is a “sustainable and cost-effective initiative that promotes integration and is a pathway to independent living”.

O’Keeffe called for the ARP scheme to remain in place at its current rate for as long as the Temporary Protection Directive continues to apply.  

The EU’s Temporary Protection Directive was triggered for the first time in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and was today extended until March 2028.

The Irish Red Cross has said that a majority of people currently hosting Ukrainians have said they would be happy to continue their hosting arrangements under the current conditions.

However, since the reduction was first mooted, the Irish Red Cross said it has seen an increase in the number of pledged accommodation arrangements ending due to the proposed reduction in the rate.

O’Keefe added that Ukrainians are not entitled to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), to access state homeless accommodation services or to apply for Social Housing, all of which require a person to have long term legal residence in Ireland.

And while Ukrainians are entitled to apply for Rent Supplement, O’Keefe said the “the eligibility criteria are extremely restrictive”.

Irish Red Cross data shows just 16% of Ukrainians who applied were successful and only 27% of those who tried managed to access private rental accommodation. 

He also noted that State provided accommodation for close to 18,000 Ukrainians will be wound down from September and that this will “likely lead to an increased reliance on the ARP”.

“For many of these people leaving State accommodation, particularly vulnerable groups, the ARP scheme is their only option to exit state accommodation and live independently,” said O’Keeffe.

Meanwhile, O’Keeffe said that ARP is a “cost-effective solution” and that it costs the State approximately €11 per night per person, versus State accommodation cost of €48.

The Irish Red Cross meanwhile has called for the government to provide “appropriate and adequate consideration” to those currently supported by ARP to ensure that they “do not face street homelessness due to their pledge ending as a result of the proposed ARP reduction”.