The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is the lead Department for the provision of accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection. The role of my Department in this area is a supporting role which forms part of the whole of Government response.
My Department was tasked with supporting the refurbishment programme. The 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 link. All properties offered are subject to inspection and ongoing project oversight by the relevant Local Authority, to ensure compliance as per the guidelines linked, should they progress through the programme.
Decisions on which properties are suitable for progression through the programme are made by a Technical Working Group (TWG) working under the auspices of the Accommodation Working Group. Membership of the TWG includes my Department, the DCEDIY, the Department of the Taoiseach, the Local Government Management Agency and the City and County Management Association. Decisions are based on criteria which include location, access to transport links and local amenities, value for money, future potential use, timeframe for delivery and capacity.
Any concerns regarding planning issues, fire certification or building control should be addressed to the relevant local authority.
