Government no longer able to offer indefinite accommodation to Ukrainian refugees, says Varadkar

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (centre) speaks to local business owners in Leitrim Village in Co Leitrim, after a tornado and high winds on Sunday flattened trees, ripped a roof off a building and left debris scattered on a street. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Ireland is no longer in a position to offer indefinite-term accommodation to Ukrainians seeking refuge, the Taoiseach has said.

It comes as a sub-cabinet committee will this afternoon discuss a dramatic reduction in the weekly payment Ukrainians receive.

The Government is also looking at placing a limit of 90 days on State-provided accommodation.

Asked if the measures are aimed at slowing down the numbers arriving here, Leo Varadkar said: "I think it's less about people arriving from Ukraine and more of a what we call secondary movements, people moving from other parts of Western Europe to Ireland having spent some time there."

However, Mr Varadkar said people are "going to keep coming here" given global events which have sparked movement across the world.

While he acknowledged the housing crisis in Ireland, the Taoiseach said people fleeing the war in Ukraine or wars in other parts of the world "don't have any homes at all, their homes are long gone, their schools are gone".

"They are going to keep coming here. And we need to be realistic and honest with people about that."

The Taoiseach said he is "proud" that Ireland has welcomed around 100,000 people who have fled the war in Ukraine.

But he said: "What we offer people fleeing Ukraine in Ireland should be similar to what's offered in other parts of Western Europe. So in most cases in Western Europe, people are offered accommodation but not indefinitely and if you are being provided with accommodation, food, board and lodging, heat and light by the State, you don't get the full social welfare payments. That's the kind of principle that we're going to apply."

He added: "At the moment, we provide accommodation to people coming here from Ukraine indefinitely and at the same time pay social welfare, whereas the change, if we make it, will be saying that we can't promise you accommodation indefinitely, but while we do provide you accommodation, you won't receive the full amount of social welfare because generally speaking somebody who is receiving social welfare would have to pay rent and would have to pay for their food and utilities for example."