Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2022
696. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he anticipates the creation of the HAP equivalent payment for refugees as outlined in the White Paper on Ending Direct Provision (details supplied). [14912/22]
View answerThe Deputy may wish to note that A White Paper to end Direct Provision and to Establish a new International Protection Support Service relates to accommodation and supports for International Protection applicants and not for people that have refugee status.
Under the new model of accommodation as set out in the White Paper the sourcing of Phase Two accommodation in the community will be achieved through a multi-strand approach:
- Houses and apartments will be built or acquired through Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) or other not-for-profit organisations. These will be used for families and single people, particularly vulnerable single people.
- Buildings will be repurposed through urban renewal initiatives to create accommodation for single people.
- Rent a room schemes will be used to source some accommodation for single people. This hosting in the community will commence with the development of an International Protection Community Hosting Scheme.
- Private tenancies will be used to source accommodation for families as necessary.
The early part of the project has focused on putting in place the building blocks that will allow AHBs to begin providing accommodation including work to roll out an AHB funding scheme that will be launched in early quarter two. Once this element of the programme is up and running, a focus will then be placed on operationalising other parts of the multi-strand approach including the rent a room scheme and the private tenancies where applicants will be supported financially if they source their own accommodation.
