The amount spent by the State on commercial providers accommodating international protection applicants and Ukrainian refugees in the first quarter of 2026 has fallen by €104 million compared to the same period last year.
New figures published by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration show that accommodating IP applicants and Ukrainians cost the State more than €3.3 million per day between 1 January and 31 March this year, reports Breaking News.
However, the combined €300 million spend for the first three months is down €104 million on the €404.23 million spent in the corresponding period in 2025, representing a drop of 26%.
The biggest single reduction concerned the commercial accommodation bill for Ukrainians, which more than halved year-on-year, with the bill for the first quarter standing at €61.42 million — a fall of 54%, or €73.32 million, compared to the €131.74 million spent in the same period last year, reports Breaking News.
The reduction in Ukrainian accommodation costs comes as the Government has announced a phased withdrawal of State-contracted commercial accommodation for Ukrainians, which will begin in August 2026 and be completed by March 2027.
The figures come as the Government separately unveiled a new immigration pathway — the Temporary Protection Transition Scheme — which will give Ukrainian refugees who have been living and working in Ireland a route to long-term residency once the EU Temporary Protection Directive expires next year, reports Breaking News.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
