Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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163. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 343 of 25 June 2024, his Department’s plan to accommodate Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection who reach the 90-day cut-off for State-provided accommodation and who have no alternative accommodation in place; the options available to persons who find themselves in such a position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28394/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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With effect from 14 March 2024, anyone fleeing the war in Ukraine who registers for temporary protection and is looking for State-provided accommodation in Ireland, is accommodated for a maximum of 90 days in a Designated Accommodation Centre (DAC).

At Day 90, if a Beneficiary of Temporary Protection (BOTP) has not found alternative accommodation or left the country, they will be transported to an information clinic in the Citywest Transit Hub where my officials and other partners are available to offer information on options available to them to make their own arrangements for accommodation if they wish to remain in Ireland.

Standard social welfare payments are not available to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) residing in DACs. While resident in a DAC, they are entitled to receive the BOTP Weekly Payment of €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child in respect of daily expenses. They may also be entitled to Child Benefit and/or an Additional Needs Payment.

When they leave the DAC, BOTPs are entitled to apply for standard social welfare assistance, equivalent to Irish citizens, subject to meeting the eligibility conditions.

All Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection are supported in the DAC by the Irish Red Cross and the Local Authority to find alternative accommodation, either through a Government sponsored scheme or privately. Intensive supports continue to assist BOTPs to source independent accommodation.

To date all those who have availed of this particular support have sourced independent accommodation within the 90 day period or have chosen to leave the State. Since the 14 March, there has been more than 600 departures from DACs. Approximately 50% of the departures have found private accommodation in Ireland and 29% have found accommodation via a Government Scheme, such as pledged accommodation and ‘Offer a Home’’. The remainder have travelled from Ireland or chosen not to report on their arrangements.