People fleeing Ukraine to Ireland will have to fund meals out of welfare payments

People fleeing the conflict in Ukraine will be offered “accommodation only”, with refugees expected to use welfare payments to meet day-to-day expenses and meals. Those living in hotels will also be charged for meals, under plans approved by Cabinet on Friday.

At the incorporeal meeting, it was also decided that refugees will be given only one offer of suitable accommodation. If it is not accepted, a second one will not be made.

Ministers have also been told that the Department of Integration will make the legislative changes needed to increase the recognition payment to host families from €400 to €800 from December 1st. The Department of Social Protection will make preparations for the new payment to be made as soon as possible after that date.

The Department of Housing will continue working on the refurbishment of properties with local authorities and will roll out a communications campaign seeking more vacant properties.

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The Department of Justice has been told to conduct a study of how EU rules governing the treatment of people fleeing Ukraine are enforced around the bloc.

The Cabinet also signed off on reforms to the Irish reception and integration system amid unprecedented pressure on it to handle record numbers fleeing Ukraine and elsewhere.

Ministers were told that the Department of Justice will focus on how the temporary protection directive, which governs the rights given to Ukrainians here, is applied across various EU countries.

There is a belief at senior levels in the Coalition that other countries are giving less supports on accommodation and benefits.

The review, ministers were told, is to ensure the transposition of the EU directive broadly aligns with other jurisdictions and can support accommodation, income support and related services equally.

However, Irish Government sources also noted that because the state is giving less in military support, its aim is to do more for people fleeing the conflict.

A Government statement noted that Ireland had accommodated up to 56,000 people from Ukraine since February. It said the current package of measures was “designed as a crisis response on a short-term emergency basis”.

Among the new measures are a €50 million programme of supports for communities that have welcomed significant numbers of refugees.

Ministers also agreed to expand and accelerate plans to refurbish buildings and build modular homes to ensure all available properties, including those with dormitory style configuration, are used to avoid any person being turned away.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko has told Ukrainians that the Irish Government “does not guarantee to provide accommodation for refugees”.

“That means that it’s possible that when you arrive at the airport, nobody will provide you with a place to stay. You may end up on the street or airport. Again, please pay attention to that. If the situation gets better we will inform you shortly,” she said in a message posted on the Telegram social media platform.

Ms Gerasko said there was an accommodation crisis in Ireland. “Please plan your moving to Ireland carefully so you will not end up in a very uncomfortable situation,” she said.

She also told Ukrainians that Ireland intends to move most refugees to host families. “Please, pay attention, that if you refuse the accommodation there will be no further proposals to you,” she said. “Also, those who live at the hotels will pay for the food which is now provided for free. The price will be reasonable. You receive welfare so you will pay for food from that.”

Speaking in Cork earlier on Friday Taoiseach Micheál Martin defended Ireland’s record in relation to housing Ukrainians fleeing the war and said that in spite of the challenges, this country will do everything in its power to assist those who make their way to our shores.

Mr Martin said the number of people seeking international protection, unrelated to the conflict in Ukraine, has increased dramatically this year.

“[It is] for a variety of reasons and we are doing further analysis on that. I mean the average prior to this year would have been about three and a half thousand. We are now looking at potentially 14,000 in this calendar year seeking international protection,” he said.

“We are doing everything we possibly can in terms of procuring accommodation and a range of measures will be dealt with today by the Government following on the Cabinet subcommittee last week across the broad suite of areas that need to be dealt with. The Department of Housing is already assisting in terms of the reconfiguration of existing buildings — be they public buildings or some in the private sector.”

Mr Martin said that Europe needs to “stay united” in terms of its approach to helping the people of Ukraine.