Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá mé anseo inniu mar dhuine Éireannach agus Úcránach. I stand here today as both Irish and Ukrainian. I want to remind people why this scheme was introduced in the first place. When the war broke out in Ukraine, families were torn apart and people fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They arrived in Ireland in desperate need of safety. Thankfully, the ordinary Irish people stepped up. They opened their homes their hearts, and showed the true meaning of solidarity, which That is something to be proud of.

However, what have the Government parties done? They have done what they do best, namely, divide and deflect. Instead of people holding them accountable for a broken housing system, for skyrocketing rents, the cost of living and squeezing the life out of ordinary working people, they have turned neighbour against neighbour. Instead of asking why families cannot afford a home, why young people are forced to emigrate or why the State has failed to build public housing, the Government wants the conversation to be about Ukrainians. They want people to point fingers at refugees instead of looking at the people who are in power who have failed us.

Here is the reality: it is unfair. It is unfair to the average person who is working full time, trying to save for a deposit, maybe living back home with their parents, and they get nothing. There are Government schemes to help people put themselves on the property ladder, but let us call them what they are. It is like putting lipstick on a pig. They sound great in the headlines but they are anything but straightforward. People have to fight tooth and nail and go through mountains of red tape. They get stuck on waiting lists with absolutely no timeline and many just give up. While the Government pats itself on the back, people are left in limbo, scrimping, saving and still getting nowhere. It is unfair to the people who are seeking asylum from other countries and who are thrown in the direct provision system left to rot for years, unsure if they will ever be allowed to stay, while other groups are given a different path. It is unfair that money can be found to fund schemes for some, yet the Government still cannot pass the occupied territories Bill, turning a blind eye to human rights violations elsewhere. Let us be clear: not all Ukrainians benefit from the €800 per month APR. Some are in direct provision centres, just like asylum seekers from other countries, left to rot in a system that dehumanises them. There is no means test. A Ukrainian person working with a full-time job, which could be a very well-paid job, still qualify, while people struggle on lower incomes and are shut out of the housing market altogether. That is not solidarity; that is just bad policy.

What is the plan? The Government wants to extend the scheme to March 2026 and will reduce the ARP to €600, but nothing is confirmed. How long will that go on for? What is the exit strategy for people? We all remember the pandemic unemployment payment. That was a lifeline during the Covid pandemic but when one hand gave, the other took. Once lockdowns were lifted, people were hit with massive tax bills. The same will happen again. The working class will once again be the ones paying the price. We have seen it time and again. Ordinary people are struggling to pay rent, mortgages, childcare costs, energy bills, you name it. Yet, instead of fixing the problem, the Government finds new ways to take from those who can least afford it. The ARP is money that does not go to Ukrainians and while many have genuinely opened their homes in the spirit of generosity, there are also those who have profited massively, collecting thousands of euro in tax-free money while others struggle to put a roof over their heads. The people fleeing war did not design the system but some have certainly taken advantage of it.

The Government says it is protecting people from homelessness, and we agree there should be no cliff edge, but let us be real. There is a big difference between a family's generosity in hosting people in their home and a private landlord taking advantage of a tax-free scheme that outcompetes local renters. That is why Sinn Féin has proposed amendments. They introduce fairness to that scheme which, while well intended, has been exploited. They ensure the payment goes only where they are genuinely needed and not as an extra stream of unregulated, tax-free income. They limit the scheme to primary residents only, not just landlords with empty properties. The amendments introduce a means test, and that is something that exists in every other housing assistance scheme. They prevent further distortion of the rental market which has been pushed beyond breaking point. More importantly, they demand accountability and a real plan

Let us not lose sight of the bigger picture. The problem is not Ukrainians. This is not us turning our backs on people who are fleeing war, who seek asylum, who want to work and who want to contribute. This is about ensuring that compassion does not become exploitation. It is fairness for those seeking safety and for those struggling to build a future in their own country. The problem is a Government that refuses to build enough public housing, has let vulture funds and corporate landlords dominate the market and would rather have us fighting among ourselves than uniting for real solutions.

This scheme does need reform. It needs oversight and fairness but, most importantly, we need a Government that stops playing divide and rule games and actually fixes the issue for everyone.