Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Ukraine War

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 July 2022

Thursday, 7 July 2022

Ceisteanna (134)

Steven Matthews

Ceist:

134. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the position regarding the way his Department has scaled up to enable it to manage the humanitarian response to the Ukrainian war; the redeployments and restructuring that has taken place; the way the crisis is managed day to day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36707/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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-government response to the Ukraine crisis.

The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx of displaced persons like the one that we have seen over the past months.

My Department’s role is focused on the immediate, short-term accommodation needs of those who have fled here. To date, more than 39,000 people have arrived in Ireland and in excess of 29,000 have been referred to us seeking accommodation from the State.

My Department has contracted approximately 22,500 beds currently in hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs, hostels, self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings with additional capacity also being pursued through accommodation pledged by the general public, state-owned or private properties which may be suitable for short-term accommodation, accommodation belonging to voluntary bodies, student accommodation, holiday homes, religious order properties and Local Authority facilities.

Within my Department, a dedicated Ukraine Response Division has been established. A total of 130 staff from internal and external sources have been assigned to support the department’s response. A large number of these staff have transferred from within the Department with consequent impacts on ongoing work priorities. The Division also includes newly recruited staff who speak Ukrainian and/or Russian, and those seconded from other Departments and Agencies.

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, a broad range of accommodation types have been contracted, including emergency accommodation. While this is not ideal, the priority is to place people fleeing the conflict in safe and secure accommodation. Numbers seeking international protection have also increased significantly, adding to accommodation capacity issues.

I want to recognise the hard work and commitment of Department staff in working to provide accommodation for so many people in such a short period, as well as maintaining work progress in other key areas. Many staff across my Department have volunteered their own time, at night and on weekends, to work in the transit hub in Citywest to provide that immediate welcome to people fleeing Ukraine as they arrive here. The Department and its staff will continue in their efforts to assist those arriving as best they can.

Question No. 135 answered with Question No. 113.
Barr
Roinn