Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 January 2024
312. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many properties have been put forward by his Department by local authorities under the Ukrainian Refurbishment Programme; how many have been approved and at what cost and to provide details of those rejected and a breakdown by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4091/24]
View answerThe Emergency Refurbishment (Ukraine) Programme comprises two delivery strands, one of which is focused on buildings in public ownership and the other which supports owners of private buildings to refurbish them to the appropriate standard as per guidelines from my Department. These guidelines are available on my Department's website at this www.gov.ie/en/publication/44050-guidelines-for-temporary-accommodation-in-existing-buildings-for-those-fleeing-the-war-in-ukraine-single-persons-family-type-accommodation/ . Private owners can upload their properties for consideration in the programme through the gov.ie website, linked forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=1kz3hc5GbkiOn5I9PDFbr_Cz53O-RQRNm66T3C8QKQVUMjhOMEVRN1BVWFgxNDVKVUVSTEE2MzlBNy4u.
Noting that many of these buildings are privately owned, it would be inappropriate to publish the details of individual buildings. Final decisions on whether properties are suitable for progression are made by a Technical Working Group (TWG) working under the auspices of the Accommodation Working Group. Membership of the TWG includes my Department, DCEDIY, the Department of the Taoiseach, the Local Government Management Agency and the City and County Management Association.
Other than contributing to staff resources in local authorities to support the programme and wider humanitarian response, my Department does not provide funding for privately owned buildings that are being refurbished to accommodate beneficiaries of temporary protection. In 2023, €3.7m was spent on the refurbishment programme.
