Doherty says €800 accommodation payment for Ukrainian refugees displacing private rental in Donegal
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Speaking in the Dáil the Sinn Féin TD argued the ARP scheme was unfair.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdDeputy Doherty said the payment should only be made available to host families who open up their own homes to Ukrainians and not for homes that should be on the private rental market or used as student digs.
"We told the Minister [for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O'Gorman] it was unfair and that it offers an advantage to one group of renters, namely, Ukrainians, that is not available to any other,” said the Gweedore-based TD.
Landlords, said Deputy Doherty, have openly stated they are getting more money from the ARP than they would if they let to private renters.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“As the Minister is aware, the scheme provides €800 a month in rent for Ukrainians, regardless of whether they are working or their income. The payment is tax free, which means it is worth €1,600 to a landlord. In constituencies like mine in Donegal, where the average rent is below €1,600, it is pricing other renters out of the market and reducing supply.
"That flies in the face of the commitment the Government gave, and assurances that any measures to temporarily accommodate Ukrainians would not impact on housing supply,” he declared.
In response the minister referred to the crisis precipitated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the EU temporary protection directive that saw 100,000 Ukrainians provided with refuge in the 26 counties over the past two years.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“The recognition payment has been very important to support the pledged accommodation and the local authority accommodation scheme. It has allowed us to move away from total reliance on hotel and guesthouse accommodation that we saw earlier in our response.
"It has also allowed Ukrainians to integrate within communities. Sometimes they get entire homes and sometimes shared rooms within an individual's house. The payment supported people to do that and to meet their costs,” said Minister O’Gorman.
Thousands continue to be supported by the payment, he added.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“If we were to cut or end the payment immediately, it is important that we understand the impact this would have on Ukrainians who we, as a country, are hosting,” he declared.
Deputy Doherty argued the payment has ‘nothing to do with the temporary protection directive’ and was Irish legislation that could be amended.
He said new payments nationwide were increasing by ‘nearly 1,000 per month’ and that 1,100 properties in Donegal – 1 in 7 rental properties – were on the scheme.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“A person who works side by side with an individual who has a similar sized family experiences a blatant unfairness when it comes to the Government's scheme in that the State pays for the rent of one and not the other.
"That is not acceptable. A third of Ukrainians are working, yet regardless of their income, employment status or profession, they receive State-supported accommodation.
"The problem is that this policy is displacing the private rental sector. The Minister needs to bring this to an end for new recipients immediately. As we pointed out in February, we cannot continue to put this pressure on the private rental sector,” said the Donegal TD.