A GUESTHOUSE IN Co Kerry, operated by a firm owned by independent Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae, has received €917,970 (all figures incl VAT) for accommodating Ukrainians to date, new figures show.

New quarterly figures published by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth show that Healy Rae’s Rosemount Guest House received €151,320 for the first quarter of this year.

This is in addition to the €766,650 the guest house has received in the prior five quarters for accommodating Ukrainians.

In 2022, Kerry County Council refused planning permission to Deputy Healy Rae’s Roughty Properties Ltd’s application for a three storey extension to expand guest capacity at Rosemount Guest House.

The €114,680 paid out to Healy Rae’s Rosemount was part of a €213.44 million payout to accommodation providers accommodating Ukrainians between 1 January and 31 March this year.

Payments to those accommodating Ukrainians was down €10.97 million, or 5%, on the €224.3 million paid out for the corresponding period last year.

However, payments to those accommodating International Protection (IP) applicants soared by €75.5 million, or 54% year-on-year, to €214.94m – as the system reached breaking point in efforts trying to accommodate the growing number of people arriving into Ireland.

The overall bill for accommodating Ukrainians and IP applicants for the first three months of this year totals €428.34 million – of €4.7million per day – which is a 18% increase on the €363.7 million paid out for the first quarter of last year.

Deputy Healy Rae’s office has been contacted for comment.