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LAST UPDATE | 21 Apr 2022
MINISTER FOR JUSTICE Helen McEntee said that Ireland will not cap the number of refugees it accepts even as the Government admits it is facing a struggle to house arriving Ukrainians.
Around 25,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Ireland since the war began at the end of February, with around 16,000 of them seeking accommodation.
While numbers arriving have fallen in recent days, the Government expects it to rise again in the coming weeks.
McEntee, speaking in Government Buildings this morning, insisted that Ukrainian refugees will continue to be welcomed.
She indicated the Government will avoid, if possible, forcing people or businesses to give up property or open their homes to Ukrainian refugees.
The Millstreet Arena in Co Cork is being used to house at least 70 refugees, with the expectation that mass or emergency forms of accommodation will play a more central role in Irish efforts to welcome Ukrainians.
“Obviously we want to make sure that we don’t find ourselves in a situation where we don’t have space and accommodation, because we’ve been very clear we’re not going to turn people away. We’re not going to put a cap on the number of people,” McEntee said.
She said “every option” is being explored.
“We want to encourage people to come forwards, not to force anybody to have to give up their property or accommodation.”
McEntee said she would back plans to financially help households taking in Ukrainian refugees.
“There are people who are looking for it, there are others who aren’t, but I think obviously if we get to a situation where we want to encourage more people to offer up accommodation, that might be an option.
“We’re very aware that there’s an increase in costs in electricity and fuel, even in food prices.
“So I think what we’d have to establish is how we would cover those costs. I don’t think anybody’s looking to make money out of this.”
‘Grouped’ accommodation
Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman this morning said that ‘grouped’ accommodation like at the Millstreet Arena, Co Cork is going to become a “more substantial part” and “a larger feature about how we provide for people” fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“We have to be upfront about that,” he told Morning Ireland.
The refugees currently being housed at the Millstreet Arena due to a shortage of hotel capacity are expected to be there for a number of weeks, O’Gorman said.
O’Gorman said that measures taken in other countries like large sports stadia being decked out with camp beds are “going to be part of the solution, I believe”, and that tents at Gormanstown is a “contingency” measure in the event of a large influx of refugees over a short period of time.
O’Gorman said that the Millstreet accommodation is indoors, it’s partitioned inside with two-, three-, or four-bed units, it’s carpeted with overhead heating, there are shared living and dining spaces and WiFi available, as well as other supports.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin echoed these comments this evening and said more longer-term ideas are being thrashed out by civil servants.
He said: “We’re looking at this on a number of levels in terms of short-term possibilities. In terms of bigger facilities, public servants have come together under the aegis of the Minister for Housing, and they’re examining a whole range of buildings to see can we reconfigure those to make them suitable for for refugees.”
Noel Buckley, Chair of Millstreet Community Council told Morning Ireland that “strangely they were in great form, very humorous people considering what they have gone through and what they have left behind because of the madness of one man”.
“It’s not the preference, it’s not the gold standard… but we are in a crisis situation,” O’Gorman said, adding that they had reached the limit for other forms of accommodation “particularly as we come into the summer season”.
He said that around 4,000 student accommodation beds are expected to become available from the end of May, which will help alleviate the pressure over the summer.
The Government is also examining whether people who house Ukrainian refugees will be paid for doing so. “When we engage with people making pledges, it’s not a priority for them,” O’Gorman said.
O’Gorman said that the numbers of people arriving in Ireland this week and last week has dropped “substantially”, but that this may rise again as Russia begins its attack on the Donbas region.
Ukrainian ambassador Larysa Gerasko told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland that EU sanctions that impact on ordinary EU citizens was necessary to take action against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
She said that the Ukrainian Prime Minister asked the Taoiseach “to be a leader” in the process of Ukraine’s application to be an EU member.
On Millstreet in Co Cork: “Of course it concerns me because it’s not the best accommodation but I fully understand that Ireland is facing a housing challenge, but also Ireland is a small country. But we have to think about how to accommodate our new arrivals quicker,” she said.
She said that most Ukrainians are very grateful to Ireland.
I know 6 families who offered accommodation and subsequently withdrew the offers. I, with 3 other friends have taken in Ukrainian nationals. First thing I notice is considerable increase in Electric use, water use (Group scheme) and washing machine is going 18 hours a day with only a few items in it. We’ve discussed the utilities side of it, and reluctantly they agreed to help. As housing isn’t going to appear overnight, Hosts are going to be needed. But I totally understand why my 6 other friends withdrew offers, and to be honest given the costs associated with helping these people I actually doubt I’d do it again myself unless I knew the people. One of my friends has a problem with his guests being noisy until 1am or later despite the fact he and his wife have to get up at 6:30am for work. The guests have zero comprehension about their noise levels or seemingly respect for others. My other two friends hosting report minor issues only like recycling or not leaving kitchen a mess.
There is a massive cultural difference. For one, gas & electric are 1/6th the price than in Ireland. Food approximately 50% cheaper. Gasoline 50% cheaper capped at €1.02 a litre now. Buses are 30cent in Ukraine. Until people get a grasp on Irish living costs and how most families need to budget to survive, there will be tension.
I think everyone wants to try help. But the realities are different to the gestures. Costs are a real issue. Culture is an issue. Post CoVid also families are just recovering.
We all need to try help. I think it’ll be trial and error along the way.
@Jon Swr: great post and great insight into what it’s like for Irish hosts , I feel a lot more issues are going to be aired soon by many other hosts . Fair play to you , I couldn’t do it .
@Merlin Lancelot: absolutely. They are people. People can be great and they can be awful. Sometimes both. I wouldn’t invite an unvetted person from anywhere into my home, seems crazy to me.
@Jon Swr: great post. From what you say it seems to me that both the Refugee and host groups need ongoing practical support.
Just a suggestion, is there a group for those hosting? It might be worth your while setting one up with your co-hosts.
We need to plan properly for this. Some of our politicians are talking about taking in 200,000 refugees which we simply can’t cope with unless we setup tented UN type refugee camps. Our overreaching politicians never plan well! Ireland accounts for approximately 1% of the EU population. Assuming 5 million Ukrainians flee the country then we should take in 50,000. We can probably handle 50,000 and treat and take care of them properly. Any more than that and its likely to be mini disaster. Our politicians and civil servants need to start behaving responsibly.
@Bill O’Brien: Yes men in suits. They commit first and then panic and finally, they just pawn the problem off to somebody else.
@Bill O’Brien: It’s already a disaster. Other countries took 1.5 million Irish people in the 1840′s. We can cope, we’re not being shelled and bombed at the same time.
@Bill O’Brien: maybe the responsible thing is we should send them back, sure if a large number of them are killed it will cause the likes of you a little less hassle. We can then plan for something like this if it happens in the future we might be ready then. maybe we should consult with putin as to when he plans to attack the next country, just so we are ready for those pesky refuges.
@Chris Mc: Don’t be putting him down. Do you agree with Ireland taking in let’s say 200,000 souls when our country can only handle say 50,000? It’s not fair on Ireland and it’s definitely not fair on the Ukrainians.
@Mickey Finn: but in 1840s when the Irish went they lived in terrible conditions and hadn’t got the luxury of social welfare a medical card and a roof over their head . Do you suggest we do the same to the Ukrainians
@Mickey Finn: It’s completely irresponsible to take in more than we can actively provide for. The expectation that people would willingly take in complete strangers into their homes at their own expense, in the middle of the worst inflationary period for decades was completely unrealistic in the first place. 200000 people cannot be housed and cared for properly for an unspecified time in this country end of. Our govt are so busy being the good EU boys that they don’t take any time to do the logistics. There are far bigger countries that could comfortably take in more but their not so why should the onus be on us to take in more because others wont
@Michael McGrath: There’s no onus on anyone to do anything for the Ukrainians. But it’s the right thing to do and we shouldn’t measure ourselves against others.
@Mickey Finn: it is not the right thing to do to bring people in when there is no place proper to house and look after them in . That is just the same populist tripe that our govt is carrying on with
@Bill O’Brien: that sounds like common sense , won’t expect to see any of that from our politicians
@Mickey Finn: Your Beautiful slogans will not help to generate resources to help refugees. Many words will not fill a bushel.
Why doesn’t the minister take a few of these refugees into his own home and look after them?
@O’Brien Michael: It’s his responsibility to organise housing for people, not put them up himself. Should everyone who advocates housing for people first put them up themselves?
@Mickey Finn: The people in charge of running the country should set an example before preaching to others otherwise it could be perceived as hypocrisy, no?
@Ratty Pigeon: Yes it can be percieved as that, and might actually be that. However someone has to be responsible for integrating refugees, and it’s him. I don’t expect him to integrate them personally.
@Mickey Finn: Yes, why not?
The fighting in Ukraine is confined to a very small area in the East near the Russian border.The Russian army has withdrawn from areas around Kiev.
Questions need to be asked why so many are fleeing their country when 95% is not under threat.
Why are people from the warzone not being accommodated in the peaceful parts that are hundreds of Kms from the warzone.
.
@Roger Bond: when you have the opportunity to start a new life in Denmark, Germany or Ireland, arc… dole, gp, free house (eventually or very quick for some), free schools, university etc… I’m surprised there are still people there.
@Roger Bond:
Most of southern Ukraine are still under Russian Control. Is that any of your business where these people are accommodated?
@Just Some Guy: sure is if 200,000 are coming over without enough accommodation to suit. I think it’s everyone’s business.
@Just Some Guy: Yes it’s my business when we are accommodating tens of thousands of people when we have an accommodation crisis here and we are borrowing billions to add to our 270Bn National Debt.
When taxes are increased to pay for all this it will be all our business.
@Merlin Lancelot: Because most Ukrainian people, just as most people in all countries, would prefer stay in their own houses, own jobs, with their own GPs etc.
You make it sound like they’re on the make rather than on the receiving end of the biggest invasion in Europe since World War 2
@Roger Bond:
€17billion of EU funds are being used to help the Ukrainians. They aren’t all coming here to sponge off the state. They want to work..
@Roger Bond: the family staying with me come from 30km south of Kyiv. Everyday in their hometown the air raid warnings go off 3-4 times. During the time that they go off they wait to hear if their home has survived a bomb & if their Dad & friends are still alive. On Wed
@Roger Bond: the family staying with me come from 30km south of Kyiv. Everyday in their hometown the air raid warnings go off 3-4 times. During the time that they go off they wait to hear if their home has survived a bomb & if their Dad & friends are still alive. On Wed a bomb hit their neighbouring village. Maybe that’s part of the reason they came to Ireland?
@Roger Bond: the family staying with me come from 30km south of Kyiv. Everyday in their hometown the air raid warnings go off 3-4 times. During the time that they go off they wait to hear if their home has survived a bomb & if their Dad & friends are still alive. On Wed a bomb hit their neighbouring village. Maybe that’s part of the reason they came to Ireland & didn’t stay in what you call ‘the peaceful parts’
The plan to use student accommodation over the summer is very concerning.
Will we have pictures of Ukrainian families being hauled out in September as little Johnny and Mary rock up for their new term?
@Suil Amhain: Better to be potentially hauled out in September than sleep in a field now.
@Suil Amhain: id say its a little more concerning that the homes they want to live in are either blown to bits or a very high degree on danger of been so.
Seriously some people need a little perspective.
@Mickey Finn: if they know in advance they can go to a country better equipped for them. Our housing stock is v v low.
@Chris Mc: To be fair, our country bumbling along borrowing crazy amounts of money to keep our lights on. Now we going to borrow more to funnel to pension/cuckoo funds for indefinite periods of time to house refugees. We have like 4ish days of imported diesel left on a rolling basis. Our Elec grid is proped up with imported gas. Seriously we all fur coat and no knickers.
All the hero countries funnelling arms to Ukraine, how many they taking in? How many did US take in? How is UK doing with it?
It sucks their country is being bombed, and it is going to keep on being bombed until Putin takes his slip of land to Crimea.
Ireland does not have the capability to support this level of mass immigration with no support for doing so.
How long before we screaming muh jobs, muh houses, muh fuel, muh bailout? We have already seen shifts to the “right” in Europe after the last US/Russia proxy war in Syria. We running full blast for it here too and I don’t like that and I would like us to be very cautious in how we proceed.
@Mickey Finn: be better in a field now with good weather coming rather then only going into the field with winter aproching
@Suil Amhain: Prescient much?
and the second comment all the borrowing in the world, won’t keep the lights on. :-/
Forget about Ireland, we will sort out the problems of the world first.
@John Moloney: No we won’t, but we might reduce the suffering of others.
@Mickey Finn: Are you hosting a family Mickey? You must be surely seen have vocal you are to virtue signal at every opportunity… give it a rest. People have a right to ask questions about how we will manage to support an indefinite no of people with no plan in place…
@Bricesypherthron Smith: I’m doing what I can. I’ll freely admit I’m as hypocritical and flawed as anyone else and know I don’t do as much as I should. I just feel I have to reply to “we can’t take them” comments. I agree that people should ask “how are we going to take them”.
There will be a cap put on Fine Geal come next election!
The shortages are compounded by the lack of joined up thinking and planning between ministries. Holiday homes are a solution but nearly all recently built “holiday homes” were given planning under the strict proviso that they can only be let for a maximum of 4 weeks! There are over 20,000 homes caught by this planning regulation. If we want to help the refugees we need planning where the restrictions can be lifted and the cost of the accommodation (electricity, gas, maintenance etc.) is not carried by owner of the home. If we can pay the hotels etc. surely we can subsidise the home owner. They are not asking for full rental just some help!
@Aidan Sweeney: The large majority of holiday homes would not fill the below criteria
A vacant home must be near to services, with refugees being able to access a bank, post office, shops, schools and creches, as well as English language courses and employment opportunities. The house would need to be close to public transport, and be a short commute to a nearby village, town or city.
“She indicated the Government will avoid, if possible, forcing people or businesses to give up property or open their homes to Ukrainian refugees.”
Avoid IF POSSIBLE. So if it isn’t possible people will be forced to take them in!!! Get up the yard will ya.
Our woke politicians will sort out the world’s problems and ignore our own.
“We want to encourage people to come forwards, not to force anybody to have to give up their property or accommodation
Quote unquote ?
When did Ireland become a communist country??
See minister for justice taking back steps on her own house pledge for accomodation.
Has leo got his new remnants yet ??
And if he has fair play to him ….
They’ll be after fossett’s and duffy’s big-tops next.
Can u spare a room yourself?
@A.l: no as I live in a country that doesn’t have Ukrainian refugees
@O’Brien Michael: Which country doesn’t have any Ukrainian refugees at this stage?
@Mickey Finn: Australia or Canada I’m guessing.
Per head of population that’s a hell of a lot to take in. This is going to cripple our economy. Saying they’ll be here for maybe 2 or 3 years. No. they’ll be for forever. Then the extended family will be invited in , husband’s fighting the good cause to start with . we seen that before. Many have nothing to go back to.
Ever heard of Covid Minstet?
@Valentine Kane: no, that reads like gobbledegook.
Just as long as the minister is up front with them before they come here that there’s a risk they could be staying in Millstreet showjumping arena during the winter.
If the state want to pay hotels €65 per day for a room to include 3 meals (full board) linen change and laundry twice a week then they can expect refugees to be in sports halls with 3 toilets for 60 people and no cooking facilities.
Usual state feck up.
They can’t accommodate those who have arrived already, get the infastrature in place first these poor people have been through enough already.
Again, this is a tough one. My heart goes out to all the Ukrainian people fleeing the devastation in their beloved country. But at the same time, no such urgency has been offered to our own homeless.
Student accomodation will be idle for the summer. Surely that is a solution until Autumn
have your say