A PROPOSAL TO offer Ukrainians three months in State-provided accommodation before they must find their own home has been “deferred” following a meeting of coalition leaders last night.
The update on the plans had been mooted to be brought to Cabinet today, however, following a meeting between Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, the item was pushed off the agenda.
A senior source confirmed that it was decided that “more work” was needed on the specifics of social welfare.
Nearly 50,000 Ukrainians are on some income supports, with nearly 25,000 child benefit claims for children being awarded.
While it had been suggested some time ago that the level of social welfare supports could fall back, it is not expected to happen in the short-term.
The Cabinet sub-committee on accommodation and support for Ukrainian refugees were warned that accommodation pressures would continue to grow, with a proposed change put on the table that would see time limits introduced.
Such measures are being considered by civil servants in the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Integration.
Minister Ryan said “it’s not decided yet” whether there will be a time limit, and declined to comment any further due to “Cabinet confidentiality”.
The deferral today comes after Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman said last month that the government was “under real pressure” to accommodate refugees and asylum seekers in the months ahead.
O’Gorman said the government was considering making a renewed appeal to members of the public who own vacant homes to make them available to refugees.
“That has worked very well in terms of giving people a good degree of permanency in terms of taking on those units,” he said.
Under the scheme, which is led by local authorities, anyone who makes a property available will be granted a recognition payment of €800 a month.
The proposed policy changes, which have yet to be signed off on yet, are due to be brought to later Cabinet meeting.
This is not the first change in policy the government has undertaken in recent months regarding Ukrainian refugees.
Last year, the government introduced a refusal policy for Ukrainian refugees who are offered alternative accommodation but refuse to vacate their hotels, resulting in refugees staying in a hotel who are offered alternative accommodation are no longer entitled to the hotel accommodation or subsequent housing offers if they refuse an offer.
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