Almost €600 million will be spent on responding to the Ukraine refugee crisis this year and the figure could top €1 billion in 2023, the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has heard.
People from Ukraine are arriving in Ireland - having fled Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war on their homeland - at an average rate of almost 200-per-day, Department of Integration secretary general Kevin McCarthy told TDs.
A further 50 to 60 people seeking international protection from other countries are also arriving each day.
The Government is scrambling to find more accommodation after a weekend during which refugees were forced to sleep at Dublin Airport due to the Citywest transit hub having been closed to new arrivals as it had reached capacity.
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Mr McCarthy told the PAC “we’re operating at full capacity on an ongoing basis and the challenge is to continue to add [accommodation] capacity in order to meet the new demands arising on a day-by-day basis.”
He outlined how the State is currently housing around 43,000 people from Ukraine with another 16,000 asylum seekers from other countries in international protection accommodation.
Fine Gael Mayo TD Alan Dillion asked Mr McCarthy about how plans to house refugees are being communicated with local communities saying local representatives are “hearing nothing on the ground”.
Mr McCarthy said that where there are significant plans to move refugees into a particular location “we will endeavor to consult with local public representatives in advance”.
Mr Dillon put it to him that this has not happened and Mr McCarthy said: “There have there have been instances where we’ve had to move much more quickly than planned because of the pressure that has come on.
“We obviously try to avoid a situation where we have no accommodation to offer to somebody and we have found ourselves in that situation as people will be aware within the last week or so.”
He said the challenge throughout the refugee crisis has been to try and meet people’s needs on the day of their arrival.
But he said the Citywest facility, which has been used to “buy a little bit of time”, is operating at full capacity at the moment and “we have to short circuit some of the consultation that we would like to do in normal circumstances”.
Of the costs of the response to the refugee crisis brought on by the war in Ukraine Mr McCarthy said some €448 million is expected to have been spent on accommodation - including hotels - by the end of the year.
Spending on modular housing is set to cost €35 million and €36 million is being spent to support local authorities with the establishment of emergency rest centres. There are €18 million in costs related to accommodation pledged by members of the public.
He told PAC chairman, Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley, that the overall figure forecast for this year is €593 million and it would be significantly more in 2023 taking into account full year costs and the growing number of people arriving in Ireland.
Mr McCarthy said: “I do have to caveat, very strong health warnings on any figures because it’s entirely variable.”
Asked by Mr Stanley if the costs could be “north of €1 billion” in 2023, Mr McCarthy replied: “potentially”.
Elsewhere Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said a fund for communities that have taken in large numbers of refugees from Ukraine will have to be increased saying: “As this crisis is going to continue and as it becomes prolonged we need to scale that up.”
He said: “Irish people have welcomed Ukrainians into their communities which is absolutely correct.
“But there are parts of the country where there are a lot of Ukrianians for obvious reasons - because there’s a lot of accommodation there.”
He identified Donegal, Kerry, north Clare and parts of west Dublin and the North Inner City.
He said there should be “community gain” for taking in so many refugees and suggested it could come in improvements to schools, public transport and community services.
Fianna Fáil Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath said he strongly supports the idea and there is provision in the €2 billion set aside in the Budget for Ukraine-related expenditure to pay for it.
He said work is taking place with Minister for Rural Development Heather Humphreys, in particular, to see what can be done to assist communities.
“We want it to be practical, to be tangible to make a difference to them because we recognise that there is strain on service provision and the provision of facilities in many communities that have taken so many people and we’re going to have to support them,” Mr McGrath said.
