LAST UPDATE | 10 Mar 2022

THE GOVERNMENT HAS said it may use “emergency measures” to quickly build modular homes to cater for the people fleeing here from Ukraine. 

According to the Irish Red Cross, nearly 12,000 people have so far pledged accommodation to Ukrainian refugees but various other options are being considered. 

There is no definitive number on how many refugees may come to Ireland but ministers have said it may number in the tens of thousands. 

Among the housing proposals being considered are hotels, modular homes on State land and even Defence Forces facilities. 

Modular homes are rapid-build accomodation but in the past they have been criticised for not being value for money in the long-term. 

Speaking in the Dail today, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said that “different rules” may have to be applied to provide the accommodation required. 

“We are going to have to act with real speed.  In some instances, that will require the likes of modular housing and applying different rules to what we would ordinarily apply in the planning system,” he said. 

We are going to have to act with real speed.  In some instances, that will require the likes of modular housing and applying different rules to what we would ordinarily apply in the planning system.   

Ryan was responding to questions from Gary Gannon TD of the Social Democrats who had said that there is a  “a chronic lack of properties at the moment”.  

The minister also spoke about the educational needs of children who have arrived and will be arriving here, stating that work is ongoing to allow Ukrainian teachers enter the education system. 

The Ukrainian Minister for Education is talking to our Minister and our Teaching Council to see how Ireland could employ some of the Ukrainian teachers who are coming in, to see how quickly we could establish classes that will give them flexibility in maintaining the Ukrainian curriculum, or to work with our Polish and other colleagues to ensure there is connection between how they are taught in the first number of weeks they may be there before they come to Ireland.  

Pledges

The moves come as it was revealed that 11,902 Irish households have pledged to provide accommodation to Ukrainian refugees. Counties Dublin and Cork have the highest recorded pledges, with 2,149 and 1,327 pledges respectively.

The Irish Red Cross has said that approximately 75% of the pledges are for shared accommodation where people have a room to spare.

Donations to the Red Cross have also topped €14 million so far.

A spokesperson for the Irish Red Cross said that they have been “blown away” by the generosity shown by people so far.

“The Irish Red Cross have been blown away by the generosity of the Irish people both from an accommodation pledge point of view and for donating money, they have been simply astonishing,” the spokesperson said.

“We have almost 12,000 pledges of accommodation since just last Friday when we had just 180 offers and to put it in context, it took a few months to reach 1,000 pledges during our Syrian refugee campaign a few years ago.”

Yesterday, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said that there were approximately 400 Ukrainian refugees arriving into Ireland every day.

It comes as the number of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the country due to the Russian invasion today hit 2,316,002, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

This is an increase of 160,731 compared to figures released by the UN yesterday.

“UNHCR needs about $500 million for its emergency work in Ukraine and neighbouring countries,” the agency’s chief Filippo Grandi tweeted Thursday.

“So far we have received over $300 million, of which almost $200 million from individuals, companies and foundations.

“This is unprecedented: a sign of extraordinary solidarity with the people of Ukraine.”

In Kyiv, half the population of the city has fled since the war broke out on 24 February, according to its mayor Vitali Klitschko.

In a televised statement, Klitschko said that “one in two Kyiv residents has left the city”.

“A little less than two million people have currently left. However, Kyiv has been transformed into a fortress. Every street, every building, every checkpoint has been fortified.”

The total population of Kyiv was around 3.5 million in 2021, according to the website citypopulation.de.

Additional reporting by Rónan Duffy and AFP