'It is not a row back': Increasing €400 payment for housing Ukrainians 'under review'
It Streets Everything Can Taoiseach State Said Avoid Doing On The The And Prevent Possibly Sleeping To Is Refugees
The Government appears to have rowed back on increasing a €400 monthly payment given to households who are accommodating Ukrainians.
It comes as Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman has admitted that some refugees could end up sleeping on the streets as the State is struggling to secure accommodation for people arriving in the country.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said Ireland will not be putting a stop to the number of refugees coming into the country despite the accommodation crisis.
Back in September, the Taoiseach said the “expectation” was that the monthly recognition payment given to Irish households would be increased “because one has to take into account the increase in energy prices, and that applies to those households as well and people have been good enough to provide their housing for that.”
Senior Government sources indicated this payment would increase from €400 to €700. But now it appears this move has stalled with Mr Martin denying the Government was rowing back on its commitment stating it is “under constant review.”
Speaking to the in Brussels, he said: “In relation to measures, in fairness the pledges had come in prior to any announcement of remuneration so that’s not the key measure although we have brought it in, and it is under constant review in terms of the potential to increase and so on.
“It is not a row back; it is as I say, it’s under review.”
The Government has had to pause arrivals to the Citywest transit hub because there is no further accommodation and from Monday, there will be an overnight facility in Dublin Airport where refugees would stay if arriving in Ireland on a late flight.
Mr O’Gorman said current projections indicate a shortfall of 15,000 beds by December as the number of Ukrainians and International Protection (IP) applicants arriving is expected to remain at elevated levels.
The Taoiseach said the State is doing everything it possibly can to avoid and prevent refugees sleeping on streets.
He said Ireland is part of a European-wide temporary protection directive and that the Government aims to uphold our obligations “in respect of that, both moral and legal, and we will continue to do that,” when asked if there was any question of a temporary pause on people coming into the country due to the lack of accommodation.
A sub-Cabinet committee on Monday, which has been scheduled for some time, will give an analysis on accommodation capacity as well as measures and mechanisms that “we can take to deal with the situation.”