Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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102. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons from Ukraine who are being housed in private properties in which the owner is in receipt of the recognition payment; if he will provide an update on the number of pledged properties which have been deemed suitable for the placement of a person or family from Ukraine; the number of such people who have been placed in pledged accommodation to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50217/22]

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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What is the number is the number of persons housed in private properties where the owner is in receipt of the recognition payment? Will the Minister provide an update on the number of pledged properties deemed suitable for the placement of a person or family from Ukraine? What is the number of people who have been placed in pledged accommodation to date? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the temporary protection directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis. The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx of displaced persons such as the one that we have seen over recent months.

My Department is focused on the immediate, short-term accommodation needs of those who have fled here. To date, more than 53,000 people have arrived in Ireland. Approximately 41,500 of these have been referred to the Department seeking accommodation from the State. Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale during this timeframe for all those who require it remains very challenging. Due to the urgent need to source accommodation, a broad range of accommodation types have been contracted. The priority is to place people fleeing the conflict in safe and secure accommodation. The Government is committed to delivering a humanitarian response to welcome people seeking protection in Ireland as part of the European Union's overall response. The scale of response to this crisis has been unprecedented and the Irish people have displayed an incredible level of generosity in their support and pledges of accommodation.

I can advise the Deputy that as of the week ending 2 October 2022, the recognition payment was being paid in respect of 2,870 properties accommodating 6,148 beneficiaries of temporary protection. Of these approximately 4,500 have come through the pledge process. We were also very clear that people accommodating Ukrainians who did not go through the official pledge process would also be supported. It has been left as open as possible. There are 4,500 people accommodated through the pledge process. This is more than 10% of the overall population of Ukrainians accommodated here. It is a great support to our Department's accommodation efforts.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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It is a large number of people to accommodate an incredibly short timeframe. We lose sight of this at times. Of course we are right to expect a Government response but this has only been in place since February and there has been an incredible influx of people. It is fair to say that structures created to deal with much smaller numbers of people were overwhelmed. The Minister acknowledged that Irish people have shown an incredible level of generosity and they absolutely have. We have opened our hearts and communities. Many people offered to open their doors. It is fair to say there was a level of frustration from people who pledged accommodation. Some were contacted repeatedly with the same questions and others were contacted and then left out in the cold. Is this something we need to look at? Is there more to be unlocked? Unfortunately the end of this crisis is not in sight just yet.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The war in Ukraine has generated the biggest movement of population on the European continent since the Second World War. It is happening miles from us so sometimes we forget that this is the scale of what we are doing. There are 1.2 million people in Poland, 800,000 people in Romania and Hungary and 450,000 people in Czechia. I was recently speaking to the Commissioner from Czechia. It is having a huge impact in Ireland. Ireland's numbers compared to some of these countries are small, at 53,000 at this stage, but we are a smaller country and we have an ongoing housing crisis and it has put us under real pressure.

The Deputy is right about the operation of the pledge process. It was not perfect. It was far from perfect at the start. Right now 4,500 people are being accommodated in properties throughout the country, which is more than 10% of the Ukranian population here. This is a very important support for the State's efforts to meet the needs of Ukrainians.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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I acknowledge this. It is a huge commitment for people to open their doors and give this type of shelter to a family. It has to be acknowledged. There is a recognition payment but it has to be acknowledged through more than money. The Minister referenced that it is the job of the Department to respond to the short-term needs. Pledged accommodation is not a long-term solution. For somebody to have this generosity over four, five or six months is some undertaking. I do not think we can expect it over a five-year period. Are we beginning to plan for long-term solutions as well as short-term solutions? Unfortunately we do not see an end in sight to the conflict. We must also acknowledge that many of those who have travelled here from Ukraine have their children in school here and they may have begun to work. This is all very welcome. They may not be going home. Are we beginning to put plans in place for this?

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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We are speaking about women and children. I accept that the policy of the Department is to assist them all. What happened in Killarney is entirely unacceptable. Will the Minister set up an independent advocacy service for Ukrainian people who have serious complaints about the way they are being treated? When I sent a complaint to the Department, without prejudice, seeking an independent inquiry by the Department, the service provider and the local authority went to the women and their children and told them they should not have gone to a public representative and that we had no role in dealing with the issue. People have been shouted at and intimidated. They have been punished for coming to me. One of the complaints was that a service provider employee threatened that people would be sent back to Ukraine if they did not withdraw their complaints. This is totally unacceptable. We need an independent advocacy service so that Ukrainian women and children will be properly and appropriately listened to and serious complaints will be independently investigated. What happened in County Louth is unacceptable. The Department has not got back to me. I know it was not the Minister personally. The Department has not come back to me with an answer on how it will deal with the complaint. This happened more than six weeks ago.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Deputy O'Dowd has raised serious issue. I hope it is known to all Deputies that if a serious issue such as this arises they should come to me. This is something I need to know about. I am happy to speak to Deputy O'Dowd after Question Time about this issue. We will look to get a resolution.

The point made by Deputy Ó Cathasaigh is important with regard to looking to the medium and long term and the level of supports that will be needed for the Ukrainian community here. This will be a key element in the next Cabinet subcommittee meeting that will discuss putting in place medium- to long-term plans. Many European countries are also doing the same in recognition that the war is ongoing and attacks on civilian targets continue and have got worse, as we have seen in recent weeks. Ireland and all European countries need to recognise the humanitarian consequences for all our countries will be for a longer period of time and we need to prepare for this.