Sir, – The comments of Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, suggesting that the withdrawal of support for tens of thousands of Ukrainians will not pose a significant issue, strain credulity (“Plan to wind down State-funded hotel accommodation for Ukrainians is defended by Minister”, News, April 28th).
In the Irish housing environment – where rental accommodation is non-existent in many areas and prohibitively expensive in others – such assertions come across as detached from reality. Where will they go? Even if these families had resources, the rental market is already creaking at the seams.
Households who opened their doors under the Accommodation Recognition Payment scheme have already endured reductions in financial support, with its elimination now imminent. This will undoubtedly precipitate a crisis, not only for the families who acted in good faith, but also for the Ukrainian individuals and families who depend on them. This is particularly concerning against the backdrop of spiralling utility costs and broader cost-of-living pressures.
Even more troubling is the suggestion that these measures will somehow facilitate the integration of Ukrainians into Irish society. This is deeply misleading. Stability and security are the foundations of integration, not the withdrawal of support systems.
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Whatever the rationale behind these policy decisions, they are being presented in a manner that reflects a worrying disconnect from the lived realities of those affected. These proposals represent a profound disservice to the many Irish households who responded with compassion and solidarity, and a callous turning away from people who sought refuge from war. – Yours, etc,
GEOFF SCARGILL,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.
