Concerns have been raised about the effect of a Government programme housing Ukrainian refugees on the private rental market, as new statistics reveal a 17% rise in the number of private homes used under the scheme since January, reports Breaking News.
More than 21,800 properties are now being utilised to house Ukrainian refugees under the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) initiative, marking a record high according to recent data from the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.
This marks an increase of over 3,100 properties participating in the ARP scheme since the beginning of the year, reports Breaking News.
Those who own or rent these properties were initially eligible for a monthly payment of €800 for accommodating Ukrainian refugees under the EU Temporary Protection Directive, though this was reduced to €600 as of June 1.
Currently, 21,803 private residences are being used to house nearly 39,600 Ukrainian refugees, with 16,900 hosts receiving monthly compensation under the scheme, reports Breaking News.
Data shows that over €339 million has been paid out so far to 26,100 people for hosting 56,700 beneficiaries of temporary protection since the programme launched in July 2022.
The figures were disclosed in response to a parliamentary question by Sinn Féin spokesperson on justice, home affairs and migration, Matt Carthy, reports Breaking News.
As expected, the highest number of participating homes is in Dublin, where nearly 3,300 properties are sheltering refugees from Ukraine.
Donegal follows with 2,070 homes involved, then Cork with 1,611, Mayo with 1,425, and Kerry with 1,308, reports Breaking News.
Roscommon reports the lowest number, at just 128 properties.
The data indicates that around 1% of Ireland’s 2.1 million total housing stock is being used to host Ukrainian refugees, although the share differs across regions, reports Breaking News.
That percentage ranges from approximately 2.4% of all homes in Donegal to just 0.4% in Roscommon.
Other counties with a relatively high share of their housing stock allocated to refugee accommodation include Leitrim (2.2%), Mayo (2.1%), and both Carlow and Longford (2.0%).
In contrast, less than 1% of homes in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Meath, Kilkenny, and Wicklow are part of the programme, reports Breaking News.
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Since the beginning of the year, every county except Kildare and Kilkenny has seen at least a 10% rise in the number of properties housing Ukrainian refugees.
Mr Carthy said Sinn Féin has not yet received a satisfactory explanation from the Minister for Justice regarding the ARP scheme’s effect on the private rental market, reports Breaking News.
The Cavan-Monaghan TD strongly criticised how Ireland has implemented the EU Temporary Protection Directive, describing the ARP as “deeply unfair and caused huge divisions within communities.”
“It gave Ukrainians access to housing supports without a means test that was available to no other person including those on lower wages trying to secure housing,” said Mr Carthy, reports Breaking News.
He also argued that the scheme is inflating rental prices, particularly in regions where rent has traditionally been lower.
Mr Carthy pointed out that in areas like Donegal, the scale is substantial, with more than 2,000 homes included under the ARP.
He continued: “These figures also show that there are significantly more properties than property owners coming under the scheme. There are 21,803 properties being provided by 16,900 owners which clearly means that a significant number of people have more than one property under this scheme,” reports Breaking News.
“It indicates that landlords are availing of this scheme because it financially benefits them while avoiding the normal obligations and responsibilities regarding tenancies,” said Mr Carthy, reports Breaking News.
When questioned by the Sinn Féin TD about how the ARP might be affecting private rentals, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan, said his department is waiting on findings from a study led by the Department of Housing in collaboration with the Residential Tenancies Board.
“There is ongoing engagement by my department with the Department of Housing in respect of the scheme,” said Mr O’Callaghan, reports Breaking News.
At the start, the payment for property providers was €400 per month. It rose to €800 in December 2022 before being reduced to €600 in June of this year.
To qualify, accommodation must be offered for a minimum of six months and must meet specific standards, including structural safety, ventilation, fire regulations, and other essential facilities, reports Breaking News.
The ARP programme has been extended until March 31, 2026, aligning with the continuation of the EU Temporary Protection Directive.
Separate data shared by Mr O’Callaghan earlier this month showed that, in addition to the ARP scheme, the State had agreements with 670 commercial venues—including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, and self-catering lodgings—as of early July to provide temporary housing for people fleeing the war in Ukraine, reports Breaking News.
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