Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

518. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he plans to expand the accommodation recognition payment scheme to include properties which are owned by a trust or a charity and currently fall outside the qualifying criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8820/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Accommodation Recognition Payment, provided under the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022, is a tax-free monthly payment available to those providing accommodation to Ukrainians who arrived in Ireland under the EU Temporary Protection Directive since March 2022. The rate of payment doubled from €400 per property per month to €800 with effect from 1 December 2022. The scheme is administered by the Department of Social Protection.

The payment is a recognition of the generosity of people who have made accommodation available to victims of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

There are no plans at present to amend the legislation to include properties that fall outside the eligibility criteria provided for under section 6 the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022.

The Scheme is due to end on 31 March 2023. The EU has extended the protections provided to those fleeing the war in Ukraine under the Temporary Protection Directive to the end of March 2024. In accordance with the governing legislation, I intend to make an Order to extend the scheme to the end of March 2024.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

519. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the details of the supports that his Department has provided for Ukraine and for Ukrainian people since February 2022, whether in Ukraine or within the State; the number of people supported, where relevant; the estimated cost and value of the support where available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8861/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, my Department continues to work as part of the whole-of-Government response with a focus on meeting the immediate accommodation needs of those fleeing the war.

My Department is focused on the short-term accommodation needs of those who have fled here. To date, more than 75,000 people have arrived in Ireland and in excess of 55,000 of those have been referred to this Department seeking accommodation from the State.

In excess of 720 contracts are in operation to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. Currently contracted accommodation capacity at present comes to approximately 43,000 beds in hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs, hostels, self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings.

In sourcing and securing accommodation, the central consideration is the safety and security of the displaced people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

People across Ireland have opened up their homes to those fleeing the war in Ukraine. The Government is particularly appreciative of this offer of solidarity from people across the country. My Department partnered with the Irish Red Cross in provided various supports and acted as a centralised point of information to all stakeholders and linked the IRC and other supporting non-governmental organisations to local authorities for the assessment and matching of beneficiaries to shared properties.

The number of properties allocated by my Department to implementing partners for matching since April 2022 is approximately 11,000. To date, 6,530 beneficiaries have been matched to over 2,700 pledge properties. Furthermore, over €14mn has been paid out to over 6,000 applicants in respect of approximately 12,000 temporary protection beneficiaries as part of the Accommodation Recognition Payment Scheme.

Significant attempts are underway to match the remaining pledges with beneficiaries. The IRC will resume ownership of all operational aspects relating to activation of shared pledges in 2023.

My Department are collaborating with the OPW in supporting the delivery of the rapid build homes programme.

The Government has approved the construction of 700 rapid build homes with the potential to house up to 2,800 individuals in family units. The rapid build homes will be constructed on state owned lands. My Department is collaborating with the OPW on the project with the aim of installing 500units by March/April this year.

The rapid build homes will provide a more sustainable accommodation approach. Homes will be highly energy efficient, durable units with a sixty-year lifespan. The development of the sites will be conducted in an environmentally sustainable way to ensure that post-development the site will enhance the local area. All the sites will have roads, footpaths, street lighting and community facilities including a playground and green spaces.

After a programme of engagement with public representatives and local authorities, work has begun on the first phase of sites in Cork, Cavan, Claremorris, Mallow and Thurles. Additional sites will come on-stream in time following the completion of suitability assessment works and further engagement.

My Department continues to work with other departments and agencies in ensuring that any additional resources needed are in place at the relevant locations.

Accommodating over 55,000 beneficiaries requires close coordination and engagement in terms of service and supports provisioning. Within my Department, we established a dedicated Ukraine Response Division. The majority of the unit comprising 150 staff have moved from within the Department. The Division also includes new staff and those seconded from other Departments and Agencies including the recent additions of staff from the HSE and the Department of Education.

Upon arrival at the Citywest Transit Hub (CWTH), officials from the Department of Justice and the Department of Social Protection are present to engage with displaced persons fleeing the war in Ukraine. Special arrangements have been made for displaced persons fleeing the war in Ukraine so they do not need to apply for a PPSN online. Instead, individuals are able to apply directly at the CWTH at this early stage. Alternatively, provision has been made for displaced persons who have not arrived through Dublin Airport to apply for a PPSN at local INTREO/Branch Offices.

Respect for fundamental rights is embedded into the design of the Citywest Transit Hub. Basic human needs are immediately attended to such as food, shelter and safety Three meals per day and 600 bed spaces are made available in the transit hub to those seeking refuge in Ireland. In accordance with the United Nations Convention on Human Rights and the general principle of non-discrimination, all people are treated equally.

My Department has taken the lead in implementing and monitoring the implementation of a child safeguarding statement, which is in operation in the Citywest Transit Hub. Together with Tusla who have a full time on-site officer, we are committed to ensuring the necessary safeguards and child protection measures are in operation in line with the provisions of the Children First Act 2015.

Prioritising those most vulnerable including women and children has been a guiding principle throughout and has been consistently applied when allocating accommodation. Maintaining the family unit has been central and accommodation has been provided with this concern to the fore. Families have been kept together and accommodated in same settings i.e. family rooms. In numerous instances, family reunifications have been provided fort to reunite and accommodate families in single accommodation centres in the same location.

My Department in partnership with the Department of Defence and Defence Forces personnel has secured additional temporary accommodation facilities providing shelter to 320 persons fleeing the war at Gormanston in 2022 and currently 130 persons in Kilbride.

My Department in partnership with the higher education sector sourced and allocated accommodation for approximately 5,000 beneficiaries during the summer months in 2022. My Department also managed the transition to alternative accommodation settings in advance of the resumption of the academic year.

My Department has also drafting multiple policies to support BOTPs and providers concerning various accommodation related matters. These include a child safeguarding statement, an anti-social behaviour policy, a refusals policy, an absence policy and a pets policy.

My Department is in regular contact with all the relevant stakeholders to facilitate the provision of supports and services to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection. This includes the Local Authorities who have stood up the Community Response Forum locally, which brings together organisations, statutory bodies such as Tusla and the HSE, and volunteers at a local level to link services to those that need them.

The role of the Community Response Forum is to provide a co-ordination point for the community and voluntary response in their area. Supplementing the supports and services being provided by government agencies a local level, the fora provide for communication and information sharing in the coordination of local community and voluntary actions in providing community supports to the new Ukrainian communities. Through the efforts of local volunteers, community workers, public bodies and private sector contributions, many recent arrivals are being supported with basic needs such as clothing, access to the internet, transport, English classes and information on how to access local services such as childcare, healthcare and education.

In addition, my Department has regular engagement with NGOs working in this sector. They have been supportive and we are committed to continued cooperation and collaboration.

The Early Years Division in my Department has taken responsibility for a number of actions supporting Ukrainain parents and children, allowing them to access preschool and ensuring children’s wellbeing. These actions have included the development and translation of introductory information on the Irish early learning and care sector.

My Department undertook a capacity analysis which identified vacant preschool places and additional early childhood and education (ECCE) places were created. Information on the access and inclusion model for children with disabilities accessing preschool has been translated into both Ukrainian and Russian. Tusla has also put additional staff into its services around educational welfare too in order to support the work of linking students to school places.

Other supports provided by my Department extend to include:

- Over 500 stay and play sessions for parents and young children in accommodation centres and other venues.

- Providing access to the National Childcare Scheme

- Providing access to AIM supports for children with additional needs

- Additional funding (€75k) to support local community groups to engage with Ukrainain families

- Extending the parent and Toddler scheme to include Buggy Walking Groups

- Developing CPD courses and supports for early years’ educators including supports for trauma informed practice in collaboration with Barnardos.

More recently and as agreed by Government, my Department is contributing to the work of the Accommodation Working Group, chaired by Conn Murray, former CEO Limerick County Council, which has been established to support my Department, Department of Housing and Local Authorities in the agile delivery of accommodation required, including the refurbishment programme.

My Department has recently introduced a new accommodation offer management process as part of our commitment to system process improvement. The objective is to simplify and create greater efficiencies in the offer management process, thereby streamlining and improving the offer review process in facilitating the timely acquisition and provision of all suitable available accommodation for beneficiaries. My Department continues to innovate where it can in terms of assisting those seeking shelter.

Officials from my Department will continue to engage with the Department of the Taoiseach, which has responsibility for chairing an all of Government Senior Officials Group (SOG), which meets regularly to consider and review matters relating to the accommodation needs and requirements of those fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Regarding specific costs, the outturn for my Department in 2022 was €522mn. The spend includes the cost of directly accommodating beneficiaries of temporary protection, costs associated with the Citywest Transit Hub, funding to Local Authorities to p;rovide emergency accommodation, capital funding towards rapid build homes, Tusla and Early Years costs associated with Ukrainian beneficiaries, pledged accommodation costs and other costs arising such as IT and transport costs.