Laura Harmon (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief. I support the extension of the ARP and the scheme. It is a success story for Ireland in terms of hosting and our response to this humanitarian crisis. Research from the Ukraine Civil Society Forum states that 86% of the hosts report that the ARP is important for them if they are to continue hosting. This finding would also suggest that more that 30,000 refugees could face the danger of becoming homeless if the scheme is not continued. As has already been said, the ARP is far cheaper than emergency accommodation. It saves the State between €1 million and €2 million per day, based on current numbers. It is also taking pressure off the private rental market and helping people to integrate better into society in terms of our communities and in terms of learning English. We need certainty and forward planning in this. We need to have proper evaluation as we go forward on how it is working and we need to take that into account as to how we respond to other humanitarian crises and others who are seeking refuge here in Ireland.

I echo the comments of Senator Stephenson and I will be supporting her amendment later. There is a huge difference between €800 and €600, which represents a 25% cut. We see the cost of living and the rate of inflation rising in the country so the amount needs to be maintained at the current level. People need to be encouraged to take it up and to continue with their hosting agreements.