Coalition leaders will meet on Monday to discuss the housing shortage for refugees in Ireland, with the Taoiseach stating this evening that increasing the €400 monthly payment to families hosting Ukrainians is "on the table".
The government was unable to house Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Ireland last night.
Minister of State for Agriculture Martin Haydon today spoke to RTÉ's Saturday Katie Hannan saying it was his understanding that the 33 male Ukrainian refugees "couldn't stay last night".
We don't want to be in that situation, so that's a really disappointing place for us to be, he said.
It follows the inability of Integration Minister Roderic O'Gorman to confirm yesterday that refugees will not be forced to sleep on the streets as a result of a lack of housing. This announcement followed the facility's Thursday closure of new arrivals owing to capacity issues at Citywest.
The Taoiseach defended the government's approach in a statement to reporters this evening at the president's dinner for Fianna Fáil in Dublin.
The Taoiseach responded that he believes the 33 people who were turned away from housing last night were processed at the Capuchin Day Centre near the city centre, however some of them choose to head back to the airport.
He denied claims that the numbers entering the nation were anticipated months ago, claiming that the war had escalated and made the situation more challenging.
Taoiseach says the State has reacted fast to responding to a wartime situation. pic.twitter.com/k5gOm5DZQN
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) October 22, 2022
The state has, in my opinion, reacted incredibly quickly to the largest humanitarian disaster to hit Europe since the Second World Conflict during a time of war.
He added that Ireland has responded "in an exceptional way, an unprecedented way in terms of the sheer numbers we've already accommodated - up to 55,000 Ukrainians have come into the country." "I mean, we've experienced the displacement of well over six million people," he remarked.
There is no other reason for why we have to accommodate so many people in such a short period of time than the fact that we are in a war situation, he said.
He claimed that the issue is "Europe-wide" and that other nations are going through similar things.
He continued, "We definitely will do everything we can to quicken things and get additional accommodations into play.
He claimed that after stabilising for a while, immigration numbers to Ireland have recently increased.
Now, the State must act "quicker to explore what we can do to accommodate the growing numbers."
Payment rise of €400 is "on the table"
The three coalition leaders will meet on Monday to talk about the urgent measures required, including as raising the €400 stipend to households that take in Ukrainian migrants.
He stated that departments would present a "range of measures," including the payment hike.
The Taoiseach stated, "That is something that is on the table, but I don't have a specific figure at this time.
The Taoiseach stated that there is a problem with refugees who are now residing in hotel accommodations not wanting to move on, noting that there is a need to free up capacity that is already in the system.
"There was a reluctance, for example, for quite a lot people them are in hotels to move out into housing," Martin told reporters.
"That's been a continuing struggle because, obviously, individuals find some solace in being in a hotel with a group and are less willing to move into a single house. That has been a benefit. In order to try to increase capacity within the accommodations that we've already obtained, we must deal with these concerns right away." said the Taoiseach.
Airport facilities
Minister Heydon said today on the radio that the government cannot ensure that new passengers will have a bed, but as of Monday, Dublin Airport will have overnight facilities in place for travellers.
This is about us being open and truthful with those who are currently outside the nation contemplating their options, he said.
We cannot guarantee a bed to everyone who comes here now because of the situation we are in.
Minister Heydon was reiterating remarks made by Minister O'Gorman from yesterday, who claimed that the government was "not in a position to guarantee everyone an offer of housing" at the moment.
When it comes to housing, O'Gorman said, "We will prioritise vulnerable persons, including women and children. For those to whom we are unable to offer housing, we will collaborate with NGOs to provide some assistance to them."
"That's why we're communicating very clearly today and working with the Ukrainian embassy to inform folks that there is a significant capacity constraint, especially for the coming week. It's not that we don't have any lodging options; rather, there aren't enough of them.
