THE GOVERNMENT’S ONLINE portal has opened today for people who want to register and offer accommodation to Ukrainian refugees who arrive in Ireland.
You can register your interest in helping refugees who arrive in Ireland here.
The United Nations said yesterday that 1.5 million have fled Ukraine since the invasion of the country by Russia, stating that it is the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.
Speaking to The Journal this afternoon, Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman said there have been huge offers of support from members of the public looking to help Ukrainian refugees.
As a result, the minister said the Government has been working in conjunction with the Irish Red Cross to get the online platform open so people can register their details and offers of help.
He said the portal is not just for those who have accommodation to offer, but is open to anyone who has something to offer in terms of aid, such as meals or education supplies, for example.
This is a QR code for the register of pledges hosted by the Irish Red Cross which allows all of us to register accommodation and other services to assist Ukrainian refugees. Please RT and disseminate as widely as possible. Thanks, C. #meitheal
— Ciaran Cannon (@ciarancannon) March 7, 2022
Link here; https://t.co/YjCBu8QOSg pic.twitter.com/x9sT8cwuv1
“A whole range of pledges are welcome,” said the minister.
Department officials will get in touch with those that register with the portal within weeks, said the minister.
“I would ask people to be patient, we are expecting a lot of pledges of support and it will take time to get through them all,” said O’Gorman.
“We will look to get back to people as quickly as possible,” he added, stating that some offers from the public may be more useful than others, with some offers to be prioritised.
He added that this is a new endeavor and appealed for a “bit of understanding” from the public if it does take some time for officials to get back in touch.
‘All forms of accommodation welcome’
Speaking on RTÉ Radio this evening, Minister of State at the Department of Children Anne Rabbitte said “we’re hopeful that there will be a lot of accommodation being pledged”.
We’re open to all forms of accommodation, be it the granny flat, be it the spare room in the house, or be it the holiday home, or if there’s larger complexes available, we would really, really welcome it.
When asked how long the accommodation would be needed, Rabbitte said “we would hope it wouldn’t go on for long, but that would depend on the conflict”.
“But at the moment, we’ll have to look at worst-case scenarios. So, really when you’re pledging it, it is until such a time for the Ukrainians to return.”
Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris said on Today FM this evening that Ukrainian refugees who go to college here will be treated as Irish students in terms of fees.
Government action for accommodation
In the short-term, accommodation for refugees arriving into Ireland from the Ukraine will be accommodated in hotels, said the minister.
He said the State is looking to procure more hotel rooms in the days and weeks ahead.
Longer term accommodation will also be needed, with the minister stating that work is underway to secure such facilities.
O’Gorman said he wanted to express his thanks to members of the public who have already reached out with offers of support.
“We very much appreciate the support the Government has received so far,” he said.
Secretary General of the Irish Red Cross Liam O’Dwyer said the charity is “keen to ensure that refugees from Ukraine experience a warm welcome from communities throughout Ireland as they recover from the trauma of recent days”.
Since Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said last week that Irish people could be asked to open up their homes to Ukrainian refugees, Irish people have been seeking out details of how to get involved.
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