Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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947. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 129 of 1 March 2023, if an assessment has been carried out to support the decision not to extend eligibility criteria for the accommodation recognition payment, given that at a time of a shortage in property, all offers should be considered. [13138/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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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.

I can inform the Deputy that I have not conducted an assessment of the eligibility criteria set out in the governing legislation for the Accommodation Recognition Payment scheme.

Insofar as he asked in the question referenced from 1 March about properties held in trust, I would be grateful if the Deputy might write to me to set out what he has in mind. It is not clear if this relates to charitable or religious bodies or if it may relate to investment trusts, some of which are publicly quoted on the stock exchange.

I have already indicated that I am extending the termination date of the ARP scheme to March 2024 to coincide with the EU’s extension of the period of temporary protection to Ukrainians fleeing the war. In deciding to extend the scheme, I was mindful of the need to continue to provide for a financial contribution to assist in maintaining, if not increasing, the availability of accommodation for temporary protection beneficiaries.