Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE UKRAINIAN ACCOMMODATION payment that is made to hosts is set to be extended to 2027.
The Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) scheme is currently in place until 31 March 2026, but the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC) heard today that it is Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan’s intention to seek approval to extend the scheme for a further year to 31 March 2027.
Since last summer, the monthly contribution rate paid to hosts accommodating those from Ukraine was reduced from €800 to €600, with government stating the reduction sought to mitigate any unintended impact on the private rental sector.
The committee was told today that extending the scheme will align with the timeframe for the EU Temporary Protection Directive and will allow for “an orderly wind-down of the scheme”.
Between 2022 and 2024, 114,000 people arrived in Ireland seeking temporary protection, having fled the war in Ukraine.
Arrivals subsequently continued at a much reduced level, so that the overall numbers Ireland has received from Ukraine is 126,00 people to date, with an estimated 80,000 remaining in the State.
Oonagh McPhillips, Secretary General, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration informed the committee that the amount of money being spent on accommodation for Ukrainian refugees in Ireland has almost halved since 2024.
She said figure has reduced from €1.165bn two years ago to an allocated €607m this year.
The savings in this area were primarily attributable to reduced demand for commercial accommodation, which enabled a consolidation of the commercial accommodation portfolio, she said.
The committee was told the government deems the ARP scheme, which pays hosts to house Ukrainians, to have been successful, as it has accommodated some 63,000 temporary protection beneficiaries outside of State-contracted accommodation since 2022.
Some 42,000 people are currently living in almost 23,500 hosted accommodations with the support of the scheme.
Figures show that in 2024, approximately €141.5m was issued to some 15,000 hosts accommodating 34,500 beneficiaries.
A briefing note from the Department of Justice to the committee said:
“It also reflects recent policy changes which aim to ensure these temporary and time-bound supports for people availing of accommodation are proportionate and equitable.”
The committee heard that the scheme is cost-effective for the Exchequer, with the average cost of the Accommodation Recognition Payment per person per night is €11 versus an average of €50 per night in commercial accommodation.
Last week, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Matt Carthy said new figures revealed in a parliamentary question response show that almost 5,000 more properties were receiving payments under the scheme in January 2026 compared to January 2025.
“Figures provided to me show that there was an increase of almost 5,000 properties in receipt of the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) payments last year, rising from 18,678 in January 2025 to 23,478 properties in January 2026,” he said.
The Department of Justice said as numbers of Ukrainians in hosted accommodation have increased, the numbers in State contracted accommodation have fallen, from a high of over 58,600 at the end of 2023 to approximately 20,000 at end 2025.
As a result, the number of beneficiaries in hosted accommodation now significantly exceeds those in contracted accommodation.
Changes have been introduced to how people fleeing the war in Ukraine can access State- contracted commercial accommodation.
Those who arrived in Ireland before March 2024, and who are not already in State-contracted commercial accommodation, are no longer be eligible to take up new State-contracted commercial accommodation.
The Department of Justice also outlined the “extensive” review of costs and processes it has undertaken regarding the international protection accommodation system (IPAS).
Huge strides have been made over the last year regularising the IPAS accommodation portfolio, said the department, with a briefing note to the committee stating that new systems and procedures now in place are clearly having an impact.
There is now a pre-contract assessment and negotiation prior to an IPAS centre being given the greenlight, something the department acknowledged did not apply across all accommodation sourcing in the 2022 to 2024 period.
“This is because during that period the State had to move at pace to source accommodation during an intense surge of arrivals.
“During that period, over 45,000 additional international protection applicants arrived in Ireland. Prior to this, a typical three-year period would have seen close to 8,000 or 9,000 arrivals.
“Since the end of 2024, applications remain high compared to pre-2022 norms but
have reduced. In 2024, over 18,500 people claimed international protection; 2025 saw just over 13,000 applications, a reduction of 30%,” said the department.
The committee was told there are currently 311 IPAS centres accommodating 33,178 residents, including 9,802 children.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say