Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 February 2023
317. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when a payment will be made to a centre (details supplied) housing Ukrainian refugees; the reason for the delay in making this payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7919/23]
View answerMy Department has engaged over 700 properties to provide accommodation for Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection. In line with the Department’s commitment to substantially clear the backlog at the end of 2022, my Department temporarily re-assigned staff from other parts of the Department to the payments team in December, doubling the size of the payments unit. The enlarged team approved more than 100 million euros worth of payments.
My Department is prioritising maintaining a practice of more timely payments, including providing more resources to address any issues. Any delays in processing payments are deeply regretted and the Department is according this issue very high priority.
I am advised by my officials that a payment to the provider referred to is set to issue in the coming week, pending final checks.
