Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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197. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the measures, if any, under the remit of his Department that he proposes to introduce to address the needs of persons arriving from Ukraine. [56962/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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While the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) continues to lead the initial humanitarian response, including the provision of accommodation and related supports to aid persons arriving in Ireland from the conflict in Ukraine, my Department is supporting the wider, cross-Government response in a number of ways.

My Department continues to be an integral part of the dedicated Cabinet Committee, as established by the Irish Government. This Cabinet Committee oversees and coordinates the Ukraine humanitarian response, including accommodation and supports for persons arriving in Ireland from the conflict in Ukraine.

My Department has continued to work with DCEDIY around the Emergency Refurbishment (Ukraine) project and supporting the specific accommodation needs particularly in respect of multi-occupancy vacant properties that may be suitable and available for use as accommodation, subject to refurbishment being carried out. More recently, my Department supported the local government call for unoccupied homes; Offer A Home and has also provided support to the Office of Public Works by assisting with the identification of sites that may be suitable for rapid-build homes.

My Department also continues to support the coordination of the local response by requesting that each Local Authority put in place a lead Director of Service or equivalent, who is dedicated to co ordinating that response on a full-time basis, with a temporary support team. These dedicated resources which differ across the Country depending on the local need, are funding by my Department, work as part of the community response forum and lead the coordination of the provision of supports and services to Ukrainians locally.

While my Department does not have a role providing direct support to those that have arrived in Ireland from the conflict in Ukraine, the measures I have outlined demonstrate the support of my Department to the whole of Government effort.