Long-term direct provision residents could be charged rent or fees under proposals

People living in direct provision centres and who are working full-time may be charged rent or fees under new proposals due to be considered by the Government as part of an attempt to find space for Ukrainian refugees.

A group of senior officials will next week finalise a list of options in relation to how the State will manage the humanitarian crisis in the longer term and this paper will be discussed at a Cabinet committee on Monday, October 24th. Two senior Government sources have confirmed that Ministers will also consider whether Ukrainian refugees should contribute towards monthly bills in pledged accommodation and if social welfare supports should be time limited.

Reaching the limit

One source said that none of the options under consideration would be easy, but that the Coalition is on a “wartime footing” and “tough policy decisions” need to be made to help the State deal with the long-term crisis posed by the war in Ukraine.

Several sources confirmed the State is reaching the limit of what it can do in relation to housing Ukrainian refugees, with higher-than-expected numbers of arrivals every week and dwindling accommodation options. There is an expectation that many hotel contracts will expire by the end of the year, while six-month pledges may also come to an end.

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[ The race to find space: State is nearing its limit to house Ukrainian refugees and other asylum-seekers ]

It is understood that the Cabinet committee will discuss a proposal to ask people in direct provision to pay rent or fees if they are working and have been in the direct provision centre for several years. Officials are teasing out whether creating a landlord-tenant relationship would be feasible, or whether it would make more sense to charge a fee for services.

There are more than 11,000 people in direct provision, with a small number having been in place for longer than seven years. A source said the question needed to be asked in the context of some Ukrainian refugees having to sleep on chairs in the Citywest reception facility.

Activated pledges

Another proposal due to be discussed at the committee will be suggestions that Ukrainian refugees who are being housed under the 4,500 activated pledges from private households should be asked to contribute towards the monthly bills.

This would particularly be the case if the person being accommodated is working. Records from the Revenue Commissioners show that there are 9,520 refugees in paid employment with some 4,080 employers. The Government is also considering a “second call” for pledged properties with potential financial incentives on a county-by-county basis, although there is little detail on this so far. Current estimates circulating between Coalition sources also estimate that there are still more than 1,000 homes still to be assessed for suitability under the pledge programme.

A source confirmed that the meeting will also examine the existing rules on social protection and benefits and look at whether the criteria to receive them should be the same for Ukrainian refugees as for everyone else. Under the current rules, there is a fast-track approach in processing applications for welfare support for those from Ukraine as well as a simplified decision-making process for income support and quick processing of PPS numbers to allow access to public services.

Over 56,000 PPS numbers allocated

As of October 5th, a total of 56,445 PPS numbers have been allocated. Of these 36,104 were in respect of people aged between 18 and 65. Another suggestion due to be discussed revolves around whether access to social welfare payments should be limited to nine months or some other period of time, as is the case in some other European countries.

A source also said the Government is seeing evidence that there are more males from Ukraine arriving in the State. The figure is rising to somewhere in the mid-30 per cent range, according to one estimate. “It is being monitored closely,” according to a source.

There is no expectation in Government that arrivals from Ukraine and elsewhere will be stopped at any stage. But officials are concerned that without radical changes the State will run out of space and capacity to house refugees.