Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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I move:

That Dáil Éireann approves the following Order in draft: Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2026, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 23rd February, 2026.

I thank the Members of Dáil Éireann for making time today to discuss this motion concerning the order the Minister, Deputy Jim O’Callaghan, and I propose to make. The motion is to extend the termination date of the financial contribution scheme for hosts of temporary protection beneficiaries from Ukraine, known as the accommodation recognition payment, ARP, scheme. The extension of the scheme is the only item for consideration today.

The ARP scheme was introduced at the outset of the greatest crisis in Europe since the Second World War, which has seen 125,000 people from Ukraine seek temporary protection in Ireland. Sole reliance on accommodation procured from the hospitality sector was not a sustainable response to the needs of those seeking accommodation. Thousands of Irish households generously offered shelter, safety and warmth to those fleeing conflict in Ukraine. The ARP scheme was introduced in July 2022 to recognise the valued contribution of those who opened their homes to provide shelter to people seeking temporary protection in Ireland. It involves a tax-free monthly payment of €600 per property used to accommodate beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine, irrespective of whether the property is vacant or shared with the host. The scheme’s monthly rate is not linked to the costs incurred by the person providing accommodation. It is merely intended to recognise the valuable contribution of those who host. It should be noted that the ARP scheme does not apply where there is a rental agreement in place and is not intended to substitute for rent.

When the ARP scheme was introduced, the monthly payment rate was set at €400 per property. The rate was subsequently increased to €800 from 1 December 2022 to coincide with the introduction of the offer-a-home scheme. The offer-a-home scheme is administered by local authorities in conjunction with the Local Government Management Agency and has been invaluable in making mainly holiday homes available as accommodation for beneficiaries of temporary protection. As we have moved from a crisis response, we have had to consider and taper our supports. As a result, the monthly payment rate was reduced from €800 to €600 in June 2025. This policy change was intended to mitigate the scheme’s perceived impact on the private rental market. The ARP scheme is due to end on 31 March 2026. However, it is intended to extend the scheme by ministerial order to 31 March 2027, subject to Oireachtas approval. This would mirror the extension of the application of the temporary protection directive to the war in Ukraine. It will also provide certainty to hosts and to those accommodated in hosted arrangements.

This scheme is not only a means of recognising the part played by hosts, but has also been instrumental in supporting Ukrainians to integrate within local communities nationwide. It has been pivotal in diverting Ukrainian individuals and families away from State-contracted accommodation, which is often in hotels and guesthouses, allowing these beds to be returned to the hospitality sector. The scheme is also far more cost-effective for the Exchequer. The average cost of the ARP per person per night is €11, compared to €50 per night in commercial contracted accommodation. The scheme has allowed the Department to move away from a total reliance on tourism and hospitality settings. This has enabled the Department to consolidate its contracted accommodation portfolios. As the number in hosted accommodation has increased, the number in State-contracted accommodation has fallen from a high of almost 60,000 at the end of 2023 to under 20,000 at present. Since quarter 4 of 2024, the number of beneficiaries in hosted accommodation has exceeded those in contracted accommodation and continues to do so. To date, approximately €438 million has been paid to almost 28,000 recipients in respect of hosting over 64,000 temporary protection beneficiaries. Currently, some 42,000 Ukrainian citizens are being accommodated in more than 23,500 properties with the support of the scheme.

I acknowledge the concerns previously expressed in this House about the potential impact of the ARP scheme on the private rental market. I recognise that it could be the case, particularly in some rural areas, that €600 a month tax-free may be more beneficial to an owner than making the property available on the rental market. However, a survey from the Irish Red Cross found that the vast majority of hosts, 91%, are not landlords and have no plan to become landlords. For many, the primary motivation has been solidarity with Ukraine. Rather than interfering with the rental market, the ARP scheme has been, I believe, responsible for introducing a stream of accommodation that would not otherwise have been available. That is a view expressed by a number of support organisations in submissions to the Department regarding an extension to the scheme.

I reiterate that the payment is not a rent subsidy and is not available where there is a rental arrangement in place. However, I am aware of Deputies' concerns regarding the scheme’s potential impact on the private rental market, and steps have already been taken to address this. The Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026, brought forward by my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Browne, was recently enacted. Part 3 of this Act introduces changes to the eligibility criteria for the ARP scheme which are intended to safeguard rental properties for tenants. From 3 March 2026, properties that were registered with the Residential Tenancies Board at any time since 4 March 2022 will no longer qualify for the ARP scheme. Tenants will also no longer be eligible to apply for the scheme. This legislative change is intended to mitigate any impact the scheme may have on the private rental market. Should the scheme be extended, it is our intention to plan for a phased and orderly exit from the scheme.

As I indicated in this Chamber last week, and subject to agreement at Government level, it is our intention to reduce the monthly payment rate to €400 later this year, returning it to its original rate. This should enable an orderly and gradual winding-down of the scheme with due regard to all those involved. Further steps will be considered in due course to ensure an orderly exit. More broadly, I can confirm that planning for the conclusion of temporary protection is actively under way.

6 o’clock

That work is being advanced by the senior officials group reporting to the Cabinet committee on justice, migration and social affairs. In addition to extending the directive, member states are considering measures for a co-ordinated transition out of temporary protection when the directive is no longer in force. Department officials are considering proposals made by the European Commission on these matters.

While the ARP scheme is not without issues, an extension is required. Otherwise, it would risk placing significant pressures on an already strained private rental market. The potential loss of hosted accommodation risks displacing Ukrainian citizens, many of whom would be forced to compete in the private rental market or face precarious living conditions. Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 introduced the scheme with a termination date of 31 March 2023. That date reflected the duration of temporary protection under the 2001 Council directive. The directive has subsequently been extended a number of times and, each time, the ARP scheme has been extended to mirror those extensions. In a continued spirit of unity and support for Ukraine and its citizens, the European Commission has extended temporary protection until March 2027.

It is therefore appropriate to make an order to extend the ARP scheme to the end of March 2027. Section 4(2) of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 allows us to make such a change to a date considered appropriate following consultation with the Ministers for Social Protection and public expenditure and reform. The Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and I have undertaken those consultations and both those Ministers have expressed their support for the scheme's extension. In considering that extension, I was mindful of the need to continue to make provision for a financial contribution to assist in maintaining the availability of accommodation for beneficiaries of temporary protection. I want to be clear that the motion relates only to the extension of the scheme for a further year and nothing else.

The 2022 Act requires a draft order to be laid before and approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas. Approval of the motion before Dáil Éireann today is essential to ensure the continuation of the scheme beyond March 2026. Should the scheme's extension be approved by the Oireachtas, we will continue to monitor it to ensure it remains fit for purpose and to allow for an orderly wind-down of the scheme to commence.

I take this opportunity to thank all those who have been involved in hosting. They have done more than provide a room; they have provided a sense of belonging. I acknowledge the great work of the Irish Red Cross, the International Organization for Migration and the local authorities and other organisations that have supported hosting arrangements. I also recognise the great work done by local communities in how they have actively supported families to integrate through access to employment and education. The scheme has been a very effective instrument of public policy that we cannot afford to abruptly lose. Approval of this motion will provide certainty to all involved in hosting arrangements.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I move amendment No. 1:

To insert the following after "23rd February, 2026":

", provided that this Order shall take effect only after the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 has been amended to provide for the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) scheme termination date to be extended, only for the following: — existing recipients, with respect to the beneficiaries of temporary protection currently benefitting from the scheme, where those beneficiaries of temporary protection have satisfied a means test, similar to those applicable for other housing assistance payments;

— new applications, who propose to host a beneficiary of temporary protection in their property, which is also their own primary residence, and who have not availed of the Rent-a-Room Relief scheme in the previous 24 months, ensuring that the ARP does not further distort the rental sector; and

— recipients who are not in receipt of any additional or 'top-up' payments from a beneficiary of temporary protection.".

The accommodation recognition payment was originally introduced in July 2022 at a rate of €400 per month, tax free, in the months following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It was designed as an emergency measure to support those who opened their homes to provide accommodation to beneficiaries of temporary protection arriving in Ireland. Sinn Féin has commended, and I commend again, all those who opened rooms in their houses to accommodate people fleeing war.

Since then, however, the scheme has morphed into something entirely different. It has impacted on rents in the private rental sector and has enabled landlords to evade their usual tenancy obligations while getting a tax-free payment of, at some points, up to €800 per month, plus top-ups. The rate, which had been increased to €800 in September 2022, was reduced to €600 in the middle of last year. Now the Government is talking about changing it again.

The ARP provides a non-means-tested housing support to Ukrainians that is not available to anyone else in need of housing. That is unfair because those who receive this support could be in well-paid employment and may be working alongside others who receive no housing supports but might need them. Repeated warnings about the impact and unfairness of the ARP were ignored, and that is a real problem. The Government failed to listen and to act. The Minister of State is being entirely disingenuous in citing a survey he knows no landlord would complete. Any measures the Government has taken to address potential impacts have been too little and too late.

We know that because a report published by the Department of housing tells us so. The report states that the payment "still represents a substantial incentive to divert properties from the private rental sector to the ARP scheme". The report points out that the tax-free nature of the ARP means it is more attractive than rental returns in some parts of the country, including the maximum levels of the housing assistance payment available to some households nationally. I could have written the report myself because it says exactly what Sinn Féin has been saying. Ministers have serious questions to answer about their failure to be honest with the Dáil about the impact of the ARP. Opposition parties that have taken the Government at its word should also reflect on their position. This scheme should not be extended without the significant amendments Sinn Féin has proposed.

To recap, the accommodation recognition payment was introduced as a payment for people who housed Ukrainians in their own homes after the Russian invasion. However, it has morphed into something very different. It is uniquely a tax-free payment to landlords who can then get top-up payments that are completely unregulated. Uniquely, the landlord is completely exempt from all the rules that would apply for any other tenant. It is a landlord's charter. It is not surprising that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael came up with it but it is surprising that other Opposition parties have backed them all the way. Uniquely as well, those who are accommodated under this scheme are not means-tested. There are precisely zero other housing supports from which families can benefit regardless of their income or wealth. The fact the payment is available to Ukrainians and nobody else means it is exactly the type of policy that leads to resentment and division. Again, it is hard to understand how it has had such support among members of parties on both sides of this Chamber.

The ARP distorts the rental sector. Sinn Féin has stated this time and again and the Government has dismissed us time and again. Indeed, Opposition party Members have stood in this Chamber and accused Sinn Féin of all sorts simply for stating what is now an absolute fact. The amendments we put forward that would have addressed that problem have been rejected time and again. All the while, the numbers of properties in the ARP scheme continued to grow, with an increase of 5,000 properties last year alone. Now we have confirmation of what we have been saying all along by way of an explicit confirmation in a Government report. It states categorically that the ARP scheme is having a negative impact on the private rental sector, yet the Government's answer is to extend it for another year. It is absolutely crazy stuff.

Once again, Sinn Féin is moving an amendment that would resolve the deficiencies in this scheme. There is an opportunity this evening for every Member of this House to let the public know whether lessons have actually been learned.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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I commend Deputy Carthy on the amendments he has tabled and his steadfast challenging of this scheme, which is deeply unfair. The amendment he has tabled today would remove that unfairness. The scheme should not be extended without the amendment being accepted. For more than two years, we in Sinn Féin have been raising concerns about the accommodation recognition payment. It was brought in, as Deputy Carthy outlined, as an emergency measure following the brutal invasion of Ukraine. It was about supporting people to host Ukrainians in their own homes, which Sinn Féin supported. That happened throughout the State, including in my constituency of Donegal.

However, it morphed into something completely different and we have been telling the Government that for two years. We have been saying it is having a serious impact on the private rental sector. We have been telling the Government the scheme is unfair in the way it has been framed. It is unfair for five different reasons, First, it is only available to Ukrainians. Second, it is the only situation wherein the State pays a tenant's full rent. Third, no means test is applied to the individuals for whom the State pays rent. Fourth, landlords in the scheme receive a tax-free payment. Fifth, landlords have no obligations whatsoever in relation to the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, or tenants' rights. These incentives are why the scheme has exploded in the two years during which we have been raising these issues.

Despite the concerns we have raised time and again, the Government has persisted in extending the scheme and it is doing the same again today. Since I stood up here two years ago and warned that the extension of the scheme should not go ahead without our amendments, I have seen the impact of it in my county of Donegal. It is a county that is under huge pressure in terms of accommodation.

It is a county with so many houses with defective blocks, it is really hard to find a place to rent. The number of properties hosting Ukrainians has gone from 608 to 2,159 - one in ten such properties in the State are in Donegal. How can the Minister stand up there with a straight face and say that this is not impacting the private rental sector in that county? I do not need him to tell me that because we have been saying it for two years. The Government has hidden the evidence from the RTB report on the effects of the ARP. It was buried and was denied under freedom of information, but now we have it in black and white stating that this scheme is having a negative impact on the private rental sector. It is an incentive to divert properties from the rental sector to the ARP. It is deeply unfair.

The amendments that Deputy Carthy has tabled will remove the unfairness from it. The Government should not be extending this scheme, which embeds that unfairness. I challenge the Opposition parties to call out this unfairness. Of course, we need to support Ukrainians but it should not be in this way, which seriously impacts the private rental sector. We would not stand for it in any other situation and we should not stand for it here. The amendments are sensible and should be supported by the House.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Following the brutal invasion of Ukraine by Putin and Russia, I was proud of our country and the way we reacted. There has been a change of narrative since then and it is something we should all reflect on. Obviously, there is still a brutal war going on but on top of that, we need to be reflective, as a country and as a people, of both the huge contribution we have made to help Ukrainian people and the need for us to continue to support them in a way that is accommodating and compassionate.

I have to wonder about some of the commentary that I hear across various different political classes in relation to this. It is all very well saying that they will support Ukrainian people and that they support those of us who oppose the brutal war but actions speak louder than words. Nothing is ever perfect and we have to react to a war like this in a certain way and tailor the measures we bring in. The reality is that we make mistakes but we also learn from them. At its core, what we do has to be based in compassion and has to recognise that our contribution to support them is in that fashion, rather than through any form of military support. Obviously, we are not in NATO or any military alliances and obviously we have not contributed in any way from a force point of view when it comes to countering the war effort from Russia.

I am uniquely positioned to know about the impact that this war has had on the accommodation situation when it comes to tourism and hospitality because I think I am the only person here who ever worked for Bord Fáilte and Fáilte Ireland. I know exactly the impact it has had across the country, whether in Donegal, Kerry or any other place. Some of the decision-making around that certainly was imperfect. Across a range of different areas, I believe we have to minimise taking out any form of tourism accommodation. Privately, people working in Fáilte Ireland and people who work in tourism will say that. Tourism is a critical industry for our nation. It is also an industry that has geographical distribution in ways that others do not. We need to support that and we need to do so in a complete fashion.

We are also losing sight of the contribution that Ukrainian people have made. My wife is from south Kerry and the contribution to hospitality down there has been incredible. In fact, without them, I think it would just stop. It is as simple as that. I know of young lads who are picking up glasses and washing dishes in hotels and pubs. Because they come from an agricultural background, they were driving tractors the day after they turned 16 years of age. I think the contribution that many Ukrainians have made to the Irish economy and also socially has been lost. I fundamentally believe that has been huge.

The differential between the €39 we were paying a night for tourism accommodation versus the ARP is hugely significant and something we need to bear in mind. I appreciate the volume of properties that have been used in different geographical locations has been spread disproportionately. That is probably something we could have looked at in a different way in how we were co-ordinating things.

It is obvious that there have been impacts on the rental market. Nothing is ever perfect, as I said at the outset. If we end this just like that, the impacts on the rental market in reverse will be a flood of new people coming onto the rental market. We need to bear in mind that it works both ways. When thinking about this, we need to consider how that would be managed or else people will be standing up here, shouting and roaring - rightly so - about more people being homeless.

In his contribution, the Minister said further steps will also to be taken. It is a pretty generic statement as regards to the wind-down and this being the last year. We are extending it for one more year and then we are changing the amount but there will be further steps taken in the next year. I presume these are interim steps as regards the wind-down. He might give more information as to what those are. He has obviously changed the amount and he has told us the date for closing it, but is there something additional in between? I am a little bit lost about what he said about the additional measures in the interim.

In all of this we need to consider that we are not in control of all the variables here. What happens if this war goes to a different level? What if the EU has to respond in a different way? What happens if this war escalates? It is impossible to know where the temporary protection order is going to go at an EU level. I do not expect the Government to know either. I am saying this out straight. The Minister is saying on the floor of the Dáil and in the media that this will be it in a year's time. I know other countries have acted but they may all have to reverse course. We do not know where this is going to go. We need to be quite nimble and think about how we are going to react on this because there could be unintended consequences if we bring the shutter down in the manner the Government proposes.

I welcome that the order has been extended but there are very many unknown variables here. We need to think very deeply about the consequences of this decision if we are to close it in a year's time, because there could be many unintended consequences, some of which are not being taken on board by some Members of the Opposition or indeed by the Government.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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The Social Democrats will be supporting the extension of the accommodation recognition payment from 27 March. We would like to do so at its current rate. I am conscious that in his contribution, Deputy Carthy spoke about the Opposition needing to reflect on our continued support of this scheme and we do. I reflect constantly. I reflect on the fact that today a court case was taken by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, which demonstrated in a court of law that over 2,500 asylum seekers were forced to defecate on the street, such was the lack of accommodation and how horrendously this is being handled by the Government. I reflect on the fact that private accommodation operators who entered an agreement with the State but provided no accommodation to a single refugee or asylum seeker in the country have been paid millions in settlements in recent years.

I reflect on the fact that there are people who have come to this country in search of sanctuary who were placed on the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains in all sorts of weather. We have seen tents on the Grand Canal. I reflect on the fact that a scheme like this, imperfect as it may be, also sees huge numbers of people who came to this country following a horrific invasion of their country placed in the homes of Irish people. Questions have been raised about the data with which the Irish Red Cross demonstrated that over 91% of the people providing accommodation under the ARP scheme had never been registered with the Residential Tenancies Board and had never been private providers, but that is data from the Irish Red Cross. I appreciate that not everybody took part in it but this year and last year I met numerous host families in Ireland who have opened up their doors to Ukrainian families who have become part of the make-up of their communities and their households. The scheme is imperfect, but there is no perfection here. In fact, it is all horror.

I listened to Deputy Carthy's contribution and have seen his amendment. We will certainly consider it, but I did not see what we would do differently in that regard. We are not in charge here. The Government has made these decisions. This payment is reflected far better than the giving of millions of euro over to private operators, which I am sure the Deputy will also not be in agreement with.

As regards the families I have met who have benefited from a payment such as this, I hosted a meeting in the audiovisual room a couple of weeks ago with the Irish Red Cross. There were a number of families present who had come to Ireland. One woman, whose daughter is now five, has been here since her daughter was one. She is in her school, she was in her crèche, she is perfectly integrated in our communities and she has an amazing relationship with the family that have been able to host them. It is very difficult for me to say I would like to take that away. What happens then? Where do the thousands of people who are still here in search of sanctuary while a war still rages in their country go? I genuinely do not know where they would go. I certainly do not want them to go onto the street. I do not want them to go into private accommodation. Having them in families getting payments of €600 therefore makes sense to me. I do not really know what the alternative being suggested here is.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Read the amendment.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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I have read the Deputy's amendment but I also listened to his contribution.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Deputy should have listened to it-----

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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Yes, I listened to the Deputy's contribution.

The Social Democrats will support the continuation of the payment because, imperfect as it may be, it is better than the alternatives that exist. The Government does not seem to have a plan at all for the ending of the temporary directive. I listened to the Minister of State's opening contribution earlier and he talked with such vagueness about the ending of the temporary directive: something will be planned and something will happen. However, we heard the exact same speech last year and probably the year before that. There will come a time when the temporary protection directive comes to an end. It is scheduled for March 2027. All the while we talk of that, however, Russian tanks still go through Ukraine, Russian drones are still firing on cities and Russian missiles are still landing in Ukrainian cities. I would like to see a plan. I would like to see the Minister lay out to us what is actually the plan for the payment for the status of the Ukrainian community, whose members have contributed hugely in their friendship and in how they have engaged in our communities, towns and villages. They need some degree of certainty, and that needs to be provided by the Minister's Department. We need more than rhetoric.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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When the war in Ukraine broke out four years ago, one of the few pieces of hope and light in that time was the warmth, the generosity and the solidarity many people showed to those fleeing. They opened up their homes and provided those who had lost everything with somewhere they could feel safe. We talk about integration in this country and this scheme is a brilliant example of it. It formed the basis of bonds, friendships and involvement in communities in every corner of this country. These bonds meant that just last week we saw Ukrainians marching in local St. Patrick's Day parades up and down the country, celebrating the communities they are now a part of. One family my office spoke to told us about the bonds they have formed with the Ukrainian family they host. An elderly woman has hosted a mother and son these past years, and if this payment ceases, her property will not go back on the market because she did this not to be a landlady but, as the Minister of State pointed out, out of solidarity. This family spoke about the vulnerability their Ukrainian guests face as they do not have the means to rent privately. They spoke about how this mother and son's home in Ukraine is rubble now and that they have nowhere to return to. They rightly pointed out that the war is not set to end anytime soon.

Cén fáth, mar sin, a bhfuil an Rialtas ag cur deiridh leis an tacaíocht seo? Stopping this payment means putting an additional 40,000 people into an already dire housing market. Every month we are faced with spiralling homelessness figures, and instead of addressing that crisis, the solution being put forward by the Government is performative cruelty and pandering to the far right. This will not put properties back on the rental market for "native Irish", which seems to be the goal here. This will not make anyone's lives better. We will see many people's lives made much worse. All the words we have heard in the Chamber in recent years about unwavering support for Ukraine ring hollow when we see a measure put through that is deliberately hurting Ukrainians in Ireland. These are real people and real families involved in both hosting and being hosted. They are part of our communities, and the removal of this support means they will all be worse off. We will have more pressure on the private rental market and more homelessness. It is beyond frustrating and disappointing that we see this Government turn its back on those who have fled an ongoing war and who have no home to return to. I feel the need to say it is deeply wrong.

I too have hosted somebody, not from Ukraine. This was a young man from Ethiopia who had aged out of the Tusla foster system. Tusla seeks out people who will rent out rooms at a nominal rate in order that they can get on their feet essentially in readiness for a horrifically competitive private rental market which few are ready for. I know the value it brought to him and to his life and I know what it brought to me. It just makes me so sad that this is what this Government is thinking of doing and that it wants to phase this out, when we know that it works and we know that those families who host have got so much out of this. In my previous role, I warned that there would be a two-tier response because of the temporary protection directive and how much better its terms and conditions are compared to the international protection system. However, all this Government seems to do when it is presented with that problem is go to the lowest common denominator. There is a way we can make the system better for everybody without simply going to the lowest common denominator.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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It is a bit ironic that the Government is putting a halt to this scheme in 2027 and reducing the amount now when it boasts and brags about the support it gives to Ukraine, pumping money in at EU level, some of which is potentially going in a military direction. We have a scheme here. I am not in favour of ending any scheme housing anybody in this country during a housing crisis. That should be perfectly clear. Where are people going to go? That is a serious question anyone opposing this scheme has to answer.

I will cite the Red Cross survey again because Members were taking issue with it during the previous debate. A total of 91% of hosts had not rented out rooms or their home in any way before participating in this scheme. As has been said, it was an act of solidarity for most people. We do not know what will happen when this is cut. Currently 42,000 Ukrainians are being hosted by Irish families. The cost amounts to about €11 per night, compared to €50 a night if the State were to provide that accommodation, paying commercially to hotels or other private operators. I therefore do not see how anyone can oppose this on a financial basis. A minority of the hosts have asked refugees for top-up payments. It is not a perfect scheme by any means, but one of the advantages of the scheme is that at least people are integrating into local communities and into society. They are not stuck in a huge building somewhere away from the local population. The cost of this will shoot up.

Yes, it is performative cruelty, moving in the direction that the Minister has been moving since he got in, bowing down to the far right. It is shameful that Sinn Féin is punching down. That is what it is doing. There is no proof that this is having an impact on the housing market-----

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Yes, there is.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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-----because of the figures that have been presented. The Deputy can shout all he likes; I am telling him now.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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It is in the housing document.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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Punching down is pathetic of Sinn Féin, and it will not get any votes-----

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Deputy is supporting a landlord's charter.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Allow Deputy Coppinger to speak.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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This is to give Sinn Féin something to say on a doorstep when somebody says something racist: "Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, we opposed that." That is all this is about. It is-----

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Deputy is supporting a landlord's charter.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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These are not landlords.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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You have to conclude, Deputy Coppinger.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Yes, they are.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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A total of 91% per cent of them are not landlords.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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I will sit down now but I would have liked to finish my point without being interrupted.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I welcome the renewal of the ARP this evening and I will vote in favour of it.

It will offer clarity to the 42,000 Ukrainians in ARP-supported homes but also to the thousands of Irish families who are actively supporting them. It is very important that the Minister provide clarity on what was being briefed in the papers in terms of the move from a payment of €600 to €400. It is important that the Minister bear in mind the cost-of-living crisis that is unfolding. The Minister will reply that the payment was never a direct monetary compensation. That is correct but it is undoubtedly part of the calculus for some families who have properties supported, particularly when they are actively involved in supporting a Ukrainian family. We took important steps to support families across the country yesterday and it has to be borne in mind that we may well see a continued cost-of-living spike later this year when the Minister is considering reducing that payment. I ask him to bear that point in mind. We also have to remember that in terms of value for money, the pledged accommodation system supported by the recognition payment is one of the most cost-effective ways of supporting vulnerable people. The pledged accommodation by the Irish Red Cross and the offer-a-home accommodation by the local authorities is a model of good practice across the European Union. That was not the case at the start, when there were teething problems, but supported by the ARP, this programme has become hugely successful. We should be looking to replicate it for other vulnerable people. Maybe for people leaving international protection accommodation, we should be looking at doing more with this model, not doing less with it.

Finally, I agree with other speakers who have said that if the temporary protection directive concludes next year, there needs to be a pathway for the 80,000 Ukrainians here. Others have spoken about merging them into the IP process. That would be a disaster as it would flood the IP process. There needs to be a pathway.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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Fine Gael's manifesto for the last election states:

Fine Gael will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. We will unequivocally support Ukraine.

I presume Fianna Fáil's manifesto said something similar. The Government supports them as long as it can use them to drive an agenda of militarisation and undermining of neutrality. However, when it comes to Ukrainian people who have fled Putin's imperialist invasion to this country, the Government is happy to use them as a scapegoat, to impose cuts on them and to have the spectre of homelessness in front of them. It cut the payment for accommodation providers, which does not go directly to Ukrainians, from €800 to €600. There are reports that the Government is going to cut it further to €400 as a step towards winding down the scheme. The result of this, if the Government follows through and if there is not a significant change in terms of the number of people who are here, will be loads of people thrown into homelessness. It will make the housing crisis worse. If this is what happens, do not worry. We will be clear in terms of who has been calling for this and who is responsible for it which is both the Government and Sinn Féin, if they actually throw all these people onto the housing market and worsen the crisis. We know from the research by the Irish Red Cross that the ARP is not squeezing renters; trying to find a place to rent is. It is disappointing to hear Sinn Féin amplifying that misleading narrative, which comes from people on the far right who are opposed to all immigration.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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It comes from the Department of housing.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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The Deputy can look at the figures. It does not make any sense for landlords to use this scheme. I am not saying we will not find the odd case here or there. It does not make any sense because people can make more money in other ways. They can make up to €1,166 a month tax-free from the rent-a-room scheme. They can get €600 from this, and they are going to be able to get €400 in the future. The vast majority, 71% are people living in host homes so they do not have a whole property to go. If they have a whole property, obviously, they could get much worse than that. If the Government proceeds with the cuts, the result will be people exiting the scheme. We know that 86% of people say they could not continue to host without the ARP. We know this is because we are in a cost-of-living crisis that is getting worse.

If it is ended, there could be 35,000 people suddenly trying to find private rental accommodation. The vast majority are women and children who would end up homeless, sleeping rough or trying to access totally overstretched emergency accommodation. We have a scheme that is cheap for the State and is providing accommodation for people. The idea that the Government needs to cut it back and try to bring it to an end makes no sense whatsoever. It just serves to pit ordinary people against each other and it would make the housing crisis worse.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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This scheme has been in operation since 2022 and has been extended multiple times since its introduction. It has involved a significant financial commitment from the State, with approximately €438 million issued in payments. Around 23,500 participating households are currently receiving support through the programme, providing accommodation for an estimated 42,000 individuals. The scheme represents an ongoing monthly cost of approximately €14.5 million. There is a clear and growing problem with the way the current rental support schemes are structured. The tax treatment available to landlords renting to beneficiaries of the temporary protection directive creates a significant financial advantage over renting to Irish tenants. Under the standard system, a landlord renting a property for €1,200 per month to an Irish tenant may pay roughly €400 per month in tax. However, under the temporary protection scheme, the first €600 per month is entirely tax exempt, leaving tax payable only on the remaining €600. In practice, this reduces the tax burden to approximately €150. It is obvious why many small landlords are opting for the scheme. The tax incentives heavily favour one route over the other. While Ireland acted swiftly and generously to support those fleeing the war in Ukraine, something we can all stand over, we are four years into this and it is increasingly clear that elements of the scheme are having unintended but very real consequences for Irish renters. The current set-up places Irish tenants at a structural disadvantage in a market where supply is dangerously limited. I have consistently argued that small landlords should receive a universal tax relief, such as a €1,000 per month tax-free allowance to keep the properties in the wider rental market and ensure fair competition for all owners. Unless the Government addresses this imbalance, more landlords will continue to exit the traditional rental system in favour of the more financially attractive option, worsening access for Irish households. The support scheme has delivered strong benefits for those it was designed to help but as it stands it creates an inequitable situation that must be corrected if we are serious about protecting fairness, supply and balanced access in the housing market.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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We have to differentiate between those who need our help and those who do not. We have made a commitment to the Ukrainian people, some of it because we are not supplying weaponry as a militarily neutral country to help the Ukrainians in their fight against the illegal Russian invasion and onslaught that has killed so many of their people. We have made a commitment and if we make a commitment, we have to continue to follow through with it. That is why I welcome the extension until 2027. The Irish Red Cross in its previous work had highlighted that a lot of the properties coming in under the ARP would not have been put onto the rental market and that remains the case. That does not mean that there are not some properties that would otherwise be rented out. However, when looked at in an holistic way, abolishing the ARP will put more people under pressure and put more pressure on the housing market. In essence, a lot of the properties here are providing a cheap way of accommodating those who need help. I recognise no new properties are being brought into it, so it is a balance.

On the wider level, under UN conventions we have recognised consistently our need to protect those who are fleeing from persecution from elsewhere. Despite a small minority in this House and a vocal minority outside this House, we have lived up to our obligations to provide refuge to those coming here. The Minister said that we need to tighten up the process. I fully support that and the quicker processing of claims, within the six-month period. It is tied into the Ukrainian side of things purely because of the number of people who will need accommodation. Anyone granted refugee status in this country needs accommodation. However, I reiterate that the vast majority of those coming into Ireland seeking international protection have been found on appeal to be economic migrants. We do have certain areas of work where people from abroad can make a valuable contribution, but the asylum process is not the way to go through it. We need to speed up people coming in and then going back out again. We need a moratorium for people who have been here for a long time, especially children because it is inhumane to send them back after a prolonged period.

I am saying that in the knowledge that there are people in this country who have abused our welcome. People in this country who were free to come to Ireland because they are EU citizens have abused our welcome. I know there is free movement, but there are certain criteria in that regard. If the Minister is talking about sending people out of Ireland, I would be thinking about the scammers who threw a man out of a taxi or the individual who ejaculated upon a woman on the Luas. Are these sorts of people who are being told after they get a sentence - if they get a sentence - that they are no longer welcome in this country? Are they being told to get out and stay out? They are the sorts of people who should not be in this country. We should be seen to be extremely tough on them. However, the Ukrainians who are fleeing an ongoing war need our continued support. There are also people who are fleeing war and persecution in other parts of the world. We have seen the conflict in Syria and the ongoing genocide in Gaza. These sorts of people also need our ongoing support. We have obligations and we should live up to them.

I take on board what has been said about the pressures the housing crisis is putting on people. With regard to my constituency, 20% of software companies are employing people from overseas in non-essential jobs. These are all high-paid jobs. These people want to locate in the suburbs because that is where the software companies are. We need to look again at our policy as to where software and pharmaceutical companies locate. They should be in the golden triangle between Athlone, Mullingar and Tullamore. If people are commuting, they should be heading westwards rather than eastwards. I have said that. There is a pressure on housing and we need to address it. However, we will not address it by looking at making it harder for vulnerable people coming here from Ukraine, Syria, Sudan and other conflict zones. We have to protect those people while at the same time getting tougher on those who, nice as they may be, are economic migrants seeking a better way of life. That should be done through the work permit system. I welcome the extension to 2027. It is the right thing to do.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I support this motion and will speak in favour of it. Four years on from Russia's brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine, Ireland's solidarity with the Ukrainian people remains as strong as ever. The Government rightly played a central role in mobilising Ireland's response to the largest movement of refugees in Europe since the Second World War. While this presented challenges, it has largely been successful. People have been accommodated and integrated into communities right across Ireland. We all hope for a conclusion to this brutal conflict, which has claimed so many lives. A lasting peace settlement and Ukraine's speedy accession to the EU are essential.

The motion before us extends the ARP until March 2027, in line with the EU temporary protection directive. Since the scheme launched in July 2022, almost €438 million has been paid to approximately 28,000 hosts across the country, supporting 64,000 beneficiaries. As of this month, more than 23,500 active claims remain in payment, covering 42,000 people at a cost of around €14.5 million per month. Of course, this is a very significant cost to the taxpayer. It reflects the commitment of Irish support for the Ukrainian people who call Ireland their home. Behind every claim is a family who opened their home and a Ukrainian family finding their feet in a new community. In my own constituency of Dún Laoghaire and across every county in Ireland, hosts have shown extraordinary generosity. This motion honours that contribution.

I note that, alongside the extension, the monthly payment is to be reduced from €600 to €400, returning it to the rate originally set when the scheme was initially launched. I understand the rationale for this. There are legitimate concerns about the ARP's interaction with the private rental market. It is right that we manage this carefully. An orderly gradual wind-down is preferable to an abrupt end to the scheme. However, I ask that the position of the hosts be kept under close review. Many of them have taken on real costs. The reduction in the payment should not result in hosts withdrawing accommodation prematurely. The risk of displacing thousands of Ukrainian beneficiaries into an already pressured private rental market is a real concern and must be avoided at all costs.

Planning for the conclusion of temporary protection is under way and I welcome the work of senior officials and the engagement with the European Commission on transition arrangements. Ireland should play an active part in shaping a co-ordinated humane EU-wide approach.

I support this motion. Ukrainians living in Ireland are a valued part of our community. Our job is now to provide as much certainty and stability as possible for them and for the hosts who have done so much.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank colleagues for their contributions to this debate. I acknowledge and welcome the fact that the majority of the House will be supporting the order to extend the ARP until 2027. It is important to acknowledge that this was a very innovative and successful mechanism, introduced back in July 2022, to respond to the fact that Ireland held itself out as a very welcoming place for Ukrainian people who were fleeing the war in Ukraine and who were entitled to apply to be beneficiaries of temporary protection under the temporary protection directive. Approximately 23,500 claims are currently in payment in respect of 42,000 persons who are beneficiaries of temporary protection. It is having a very significant impact in providing accommodation to people who need it. Over the history of the scheme, since July 2022, approximately 64,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection have had the benefit of accommodation provided under the ARP.

In many respects, one of the great imponderables about this debate is that we simply do not know what is going to happen in the war in Ukraine over the next year or so. As has been indicated, temporary protection has been extended until 2027. There will obviously be discussions later this year and early next year in respect of what should happen to the temporary protection directive. To a large extent, I suspect it will depend on what happens in the war over the summer. I also believe there is a recognition among my fellow home affairs ministers within the European Union that the temporary protection directive cannot be seen to be a permanent directive. There will have to be some recognition of its temporary nature.

When the ARP scheme was originally introduced in 2022, it was very much welcomed that there was a payment of €400. That payment was predominantly for the purposes of recognising the charity of Irish people who opened their homes to Ukrainian people. It was very effective. The payment was subsequently increased to €800 and the numbers involved did rise. However, as my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, has indicated and as Deputies will be aware, from 1 June last year, the monthly payment was reduced from €800 per property per month to €600. At the time, there was concern on the part of the Minister of State and myself that this could have a very destabilising impact on the accommodation that was provided. In fact, officials indicated that could happen. Fortunately, that has not been the case and 42,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection are still being accommodated in connection with the ARP. As has been indicated, we are now going to extend the scheme until 2027, subject to the approval of the House. We will also be discussing with colleagues the proposed further reduction of the payment back to its original statutory limit of €400. The Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, and I will carefully consider that, discuss it with colleagues and come back in due course.

We will not be supporting the Sinn Féin amendment. It is interesting that Sinn Féin has very much sought to rely upon the impact the scheme has had on the rental sector. While I know they are tax-free, when you look at the payments involved and the location of the units, the properties provided pursuant to the ARP have predominantly been properties that had not previously been used in the residential tenancies market. Last year, of course, we changed the law.

In fact, it was this year.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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It was this month.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The change ensures that Part 3 of the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 precludes properties from the scheme that were registered with the Residential Tendencies Board at any time since March 2022. The concern that Sinn Féin has and had is now alleviated by the change in the statutory regime that was brought in by my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Browne. I thank people for the debate and I look forward to their support when it comes to voting on the motion.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Is the Sinn Féin amendment to the motion agreed?

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Agreed.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Not agreed.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Vótáil.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Amendment put.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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The vote will be taken at the weekly division time this evening.