MINISTER FOR MIGRATION Jim O’Callaghan said this afternoon that changes “will be made” in respect of the payment scheme currently in place for hosting Ukrainian refugees.

The decision will be made by the end of the month, he said.

The Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) is a tax-free payment of €800 per month for each property used to provide accommodation to refugees from Ukraine. The payment increased from €400 per month to €800 per month from 1 December 2022.

The accommodation must be provided for at least 6 months and meet the required standards to qualify for the payment. The scheme, which has been in place since early 2022, is set to come to an end on 31 March this year. There are around 36,000 people accommodated by roughly 19,000 Irish hosts as part of the scheme.

While the Temporary Protection Directive, an EU law that deals with a ‘mass influx’ of people in need of international protection, has been extended to March 2026, the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) for hosts has not.

Earlier this month, Minister of State Emer Higgins said that a decision would be made “in the next couple of weeks”.

Higgins said that ministers had made it “a top priority” in coming to a decision on extending the scheme.

Higgins said it is her understanding that the scheme could be extended by a ministerial order, without the need for legislation. 

Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week this afternoon, O’Callaghan said that the responsibility for ARP lies with the Department of Integration, which is now overseen by Minister Norma Foley. 

However, he said that changes will be decided on and announced by the end of February.