Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Ireland has been a place of safe refuge, as the Minister said, for nearly 40,000 Ukrainians out of the total number from that war-torn country who have come to our shore seeking safety. That is across, as the Minister also said, almost 20,000 active claims for the accommodation recognition payment. While I acknowledge the scheme has worked well in many respects, there are a few issues over the length of time it has been in place. I welcome the news that the Minister plans to extend the scheme for another year into 2026. However, the Labour Party does not support the Government’s plans to reduce the payment by a quarter from €800 to €600, albeit from June 2025. It is the Labour Party’s view that by reducing the payment, the Government is putting Ukrainians at a serious risk of homelessness, which will lead to increased pressure on the private market and a worsening of the housing crisis this country is currently experiencing. This is clearly supported by the findings of an Irish Red Cross survey. Only 9% of properties in the survey were previously registered with the RTB. There would, therefore, be no freeing up of accommodation to the market. Some 86% of hosts reported that their ARP payment is important for them to continue their hosting arrangements. This would suggest that nearly 30,000 Ukrainian refugees face the risk of homelessness if the scheme was removed.

The payment is also far cheaper than the alternative of emergency accommodation, which is effectively where many of these Ukrainians may end up. The Irish Red Cross survey suggests that the State could save between €1 billion and €2 billion every day based on the current numbers. This would unduly take a lot of pressure off the private rental market.

The payment has also played a huge role in helping many Ukrainians integrate into their local community, which is always important in a host country. Some 83% of hosts agree they have played a role in helping their Ukrainian guests integrate into Irish society, while 70% of hosts think their guests have successively integrated within their local community. This is further supported by the fact that many Ukrainians are also working and adding to the Irish economy. Since 2022, there are nearly 24,000 Ukrainians at work and more than 17,000 children at school. That is an important figure for many of our schools, particularly for our rural schools where school numbers have been boosted by the welcome inclusion of Ukrainian children, thus ensuring that many of these rural schools continue to be the heartbeat of our rural communities. These are important figures we need to consider when debating this motion. We cannot ignore the fact that for many of these people, the return to their home country may be a long way away. While I hope there is a ceasefire soon that will lead to long-lasting peace in the region, a lot of work is needed to rebuild Ukraine. For the reasons outlined, the Labour Party cannot support the motion.

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