THOUSANDS of households who are accommodating Ukrainian refugees are set to have their payments slashed by €200 in a move set to be agreed at Cabinet today.
Some 36,500 people from Ukraine are currently being housed in 19,500 properties across the country that people have volunteered to the State.
Minister Norma Foley will seek to extend the ARP for one more year[/caption]
As part of this scheme, households who accommodate a Ukrainian refugee currently receive €800 per month as a recognition payment.
The scheme was due to come to an end next month but Equality Minister Norma Foley will today seek the Cabinet’s permission to extend it for one more year.
The Fianna Fail Minister will also ask the Cabinet to agree to cut the €800 Accommodation Recognition Payment down to €600 per month.
The scheme will be extended until March of next year to coincide with the date when the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive runs out of date.
This directive gives Ukrainian refugees a special status in European countries to enable them to work in the EU and get access to support while their country is at war with Russia.
The Minister will tell her Cabinet colleagues that the recognition payment should be cut by €200 to reduce any impact that it may be having on the rental market.
Once agreed by the Cabinet, the proposals will go before the Dail and Seanad later this week before kicking in next month.
The Accommodation Recognition Payment was created in 2022 to help find housing for Ukrainian refugees who were fleeing the Russian invasion of their country.
Over 22,500 hosts have received the ARP in respect of 51,000 Ukrainian refugees since its launch in March 2022.
The scheme originally provided a monthly rate of €400 when first introduced, but this was increased to €800 per month in December 2022 after the government struggled to find housing for Ukrainians.
Over €256million has been paid out to host across Ireland since the launch of the payment three years ago.
Minister Foley said last month: “As the TPD is now extended to March 2026, consideration is being given to the extension of the ARP scheme.
“Resolutions must be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas before this order is made.
“A decision will be reached in respect of the ARP shortly.”
WHO GETS ARP?
THE monthly ARP of €800 is paid per property, not for each person hosted.
Those who qualify must:
- be aged 18 or over
- provide (or have provided) accommodation to a person or people who arrived in Ireland under the EU Temporary Protection Directive
- have provided the host accommodation in Ireland and have a valid Eircode
- be the owner of or a tenant in the host accommodation being provided and have the consent of any other owners or tenants
- declare that this accommodation meets the minimum set of standards
- commit to offering this accommodation for a minimum period of six months
There must be at least one person being hosted on the last day of the month for which payment is due and those who wish to apply do not have to be Garda vetted.
The scheme is not payable if there is a rental agreement with the person being hosted and it is not affected if the person being hosted contributes towards costs such as utilities and food.
The ARP can be back dated to March 4 2022, or from when you started providing accommodation.
The rate of payment was €400 per month until December 1 2022.
Angie Gough, cofounder of Helping Irish Hosts – an organisation that supports hosts and their Ukrainian guests – told RTE that they want the payment to be extended for 12 months.
She added: “We need a clear messaging around what happens next for people.”
However, Sinn Fein had urged the government to end the scheme on March 31.
Matt Carthy, Sinn Fein’s spokesperson on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, said the scheme is “distorting” the rental market.
He said: “We have no clarity from the government as to whether payment rates will be reduced as flagged by Ministers or, more importantly, if any amendments will be made to the scheme that will address the current unfairness or the distortion within the rental sector.
“Currently, the state will pay a landlord €800 tax free to accommodate a person from the Ukraine here under the Temporary Protection Directive.
“That person could be employed in a well-paid job – there is no means-test as is the case for other housing assistant payments.
“This puts other renters, including people who might be on lower incomes, at a severe disadvantage as this scheme incentivises landlords to rent their properties to Ukrainians, particularly in areas with traditionally lower rents.
“It is divisive, deeply unfair and must be ended.”
