Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1409. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is giving consideration to the proposals from Ukraine Civil Society Emergency Response (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41699/22]
View answerI take note of the recommendations made in the submission which has been shared with those in my Department working on the Ukraine response team. I would like to take this opportunity to pay warm tribute to the efforts of many across civil society who are working hard to support refugees arriving to the State.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the temporary protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response, with a focus on the immediate, short-term accommodation needs of those who have fled Ukraine. The scale of this operational challenge is unprecedented: to date, more than 42,000 people have arrived in Ireland and in excess of 31,000 of those have been referred to my Department seeking accommodation from the State.
Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale during this timeframe for all those who require it remains immensely challenging. My Department continues to invest heavily in collaborating with all relevant Departments, Agencies, NGOs and Local Authorities, as well as the private sector to ensure that refugees are provided with temporary accommodation on arrival, and to orient individuals towards the various supports available to them.
Further information on the Government's response to the crisis, to which my Department is contributing may be found here: www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/bc537-irelands-response-to-the-situation-in-ukraine/.
