Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 June 2023
584. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if financial supports are made available to businesses, including those providing healthcare (details supplied) where they provide such services to Ukrainian refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30728/23]
View answerIreland has responded to the largest displacement of people on the European continent since the Second World War. Since February 2022, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-government humanitarian response to assist over 85,000 arrivals fleeing the war in Ukraine, including 63,000 that have sought accommodation from this Department.
Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale during this timeframe for all those who require it remains immensely challenging. Due to the urgent need to source accommodation, my Department has contracted in excess of 49,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 800 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings.
The priority is to place people fleeing the war in safe and secure accommodation.
The matter of financial supports for business who provide services to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTP) does not fall under the remit of my Department. My Department remit is the provision of suitable temporary accommodation for BOTP’s
