Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 April 2022
666. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authority tenants can offer accommodation to refugees such as Ukrainian citizens fleeing war; if they require the permission of their local authority to do so; if his Department has discussed such a policy with the local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20532/22]
View answerThe Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is responsible for meeting the immediate and short-term accommodation needs of persons arriving in Ireland from the conflict in Ukraine. As part of a whole-of-government response, DCEDIY, in close cooperation with local government, is securing accommodation for arrivals through:
- hotels, guest houses and B&Bs;
- accommodation pledged by the general public, which is being assessed for suitability;
- State-owned or private properties, which may be suitable for short-term accommodation;
- religious properties; and
- local authority community facilities.
Government is working to ensure local capacity, resources and knowledge are brought to bear on the overall humanitarian response. In this regard, my Department has recently written to local authorities requesting they take the necessary steps to allow social housing tenants, who wish to do so, participate in the Irish Red Cross pledge scheme.
