Plans to withdraw accommodation from 16,000 Ukrainians slammed as 'immoral'

Labour's Ged Nash: 'The unique way in which the Irish people and the Irish State have expressed its solidarity and our collective solidarity for the people of Ukraine is to provide them with safe, secure accommodation and other supports over the last four years. We believe that that should be maintained.' Photo: Niall Carson/PA

Government plans to begin withdrawing State-provided accommodation to some 16,000 Ukrainian refugees have been slammed as “immoral”.

Ministers agreed to the proposals on Monday evening, with plans to wind down the existing Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) and other accommodation rights.

On his way into Cabinet, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said a memo on cutting back accommodation for Ukrainian refugees would come before ministers at a later date.

“There was a Cabinet subcommittee [on migration on Monday], and the direction of travel was identified as that, but in a more gradual way. The detail and the fleshing out of that has to happen in the form of a Cabinet memo,” Mr Martin said.

“But it has been the position to move away from commercial levels for quite some time... and that has been happening fairly naturally. That will continue as the policy, but it will be over time.”

The changes will see any Ukrainian refugee who arrived in Ireland before March 2024 no longer entitled to State-provided accommodation, unless they are particularly vulnerable or have a barrier to independence.

They will be given a three-month notice period before their accommodation is withdrawn.

Meanwhile, the wind down of the Accommodation Recognition Payment is expected to begin by September 2026, with the payment due to end outright next March. It is expected the payment will be cut from €600 to €400 in September.

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On the Leinster House plinth, Labour’s Ged Nash branded the cutting of accommodation as “immoral”.

“I think it's an unethical position, and frankly, an immoral position, and inconsistent with the statements made in recent times by the Taoiseach,” Mr Nash said.

“We all know the immense solidarity and support that communities across this country showed to the people of Ukraine in their hour of need when Russia launched their illegal, full-scale invasion in 2022.

“This is, at the very least, premature. This is Ireland's unique contribution as a militarily neutral country to people who are fleeing war on the continent of Europe.

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“The unique way in which the Irish people and the Irish State have expressed its solidarity and our collective solidarity for the people of Ukraine is to provide them with safe, secure accommodation and other supports over the last four years. We believe that that should be maintained.”

Roderic O’Gorman, the Green Party leader and former integration minister, said the Government was not winding down but providing for a “dramatic withdrawal” of supports from Ukrainian refugees.

He said he believed this also calls into question Ireland’s support for Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Nick Henderson, chief executive of the National Refugee Council, said the reality is that the war in Ukraine is still ongoing.

“Attacks are ongoing, cities are still being bombed, and civilians — especially children — remain at grave risk,” he said.

“There is no dispute that hotel accommodation is unsustainable — but people have few alternatives. HAP is not available to Ukrainians and the private rental market is prohibitively expensive for many.

“It is entirely unclear what happens if that support is withdrawn.”