The Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland confirmed that the Ukrainian people have been told that the Irish government cannot guarantee that they will be accommodated here.
Larysa Gerasko was visiting the Tiglin Center in Greystones, Co Wicklow, where 109 Ukrainians currently live.
The ambassador said she wanted to “underline” her gratitude to the Irish government and people for welcoming the Ukrainian people here and providing them with accommodation “under such horrible circumstances,” reported RTE.
She said the embassy is aware of the housing problem in Ireland and efforts have been made to communicate it to Ukrainians who might consider coming here.
“I recorded a video message for Ukrainians and we shared on Ukrainian media and on our social media of our embassies, the information that the Irish government cannot guarantee accommodation for Ukrainians because of lack or absence of such accommodations,” said Ms. Gerasko, reports RTE.
The ambassador said that she asked the Ukrainians to consider planning to go to other countries.
Ms. Gerasko met the people who have made Tiglin their home since March.
She said that they were very happy there and that Tiglin was one of the best examples of Irish communities welcoming Ukrainians.
Meanwhile, the government will take steps to reassess how it allocates housing to Ukrainian refugees seeking asylum in Ireland.
The Council of Ministers yesterday approved a series of measures to increase the supply of housing for refugees.
Minister of State for the Department of Finance, Seán Fleming, said the change is due to Ukrainian refugees staying in the country longer than expected.
What’s emerging, as the months have gone by, is many of these people won’t be quickly going back to Ukraine and now they’re going to be here for a much longer period than was anticipated when the war started,” he said, reports RTE.
The Fianna Fáil TD for Laois-Offaly said the state must “deal with them in terms of normal mainstream accommodation for people who need housing”, such as the public housing listing.
Mr. Fleming said that people on the housing list who decline housing are not immediately offered an alternative.
“In those situations, anyone on the housing list in Ireland does get an offer of accommodation, you won’t get an offer the following week if you don’t like your first offer but you will get one in due course,” Mr Fleming said, according to RTE.
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