From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Department of Social Protection
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Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, and Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, today announced details of a €400 monthly payment to be made to those who provide accommodation for those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The payment will take the form of a monthly flat rate payment of €400 per property (shared or vacant) and it is intended to have the necessary legislation in place by mid-July.
Payments will be backdated for those providing accommodation since the outbreak of the conflict.
It is a ‘recognition payment’, that is, a financial contribution that recognises the generosity of those who have opened their homes to those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The rate is not related to any specific named additional costs or category of costs incurred.
The payment will be exempt from income tax and excluded from any means testing for other schemes of State supports.
The Department of Social Protection will administer the payment on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Applicants will apply to the Department of Social Protection to receive the payment and the payment will be conditional on a minimum time commitment for hosting (6 months), with payments continuing for hosting arrangements beyond this timeframe. A sunset clause of March 2023 will be in place, at which point payments will cease, unless further legislation is enacted.
Recognising that there are a significant number of private hosting arrangements in place which have been made outside the Irish Red Cross pledge process, the payment will be available to all people hosting those who have arrived here from Ukraine, irrespective of whether this arrangement was made privately and directly or made through the Irish Red Cross pledge process.
Minister O’Gorman said:
“Since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, the response from the Irish public has been incredible. Hundreds of people have found safety and security in the homes of Irish people and that support is a credit to the Irish public. The €400 monthly payment for all those who are hosting people fleeing the war in Ukraine is in recognition of this contribution to the effort. This will be for all hosts, whether arrangements were made through the Irish Red Cross or otherwise, and will run for an initial one year basis.”
Minister Humphreys commented:
“The government is continuing to respond to this unprecedented crisis through the co-ordinated effort of government departments in providing emergency assistance, income supports and accommodation to people arriving in Ireland fleeing the war in Ukraine.
“However, this is not just a government effort. Many people and communities all around the country have stepped forward on a voluntary basis to reach out and help people from Ukraine. The introduction of this new payment will recognise this voluntary effort and the contribution of people who are offering accommodation to those less fortunate than themselves.
“Officials in my department will work in the coming weeks with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Department of Justice to input to the necessary legislation and to develop the administrative and IT systems to support this important payment.”