Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 April 2024
142. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if additional rental payments are being made by Ukrainians to top up their ARP; if this is permitted in law; if Ukrainians benefitting from the ARP are given a distinct advantage over ordinary citizens seeking rental properties where the ARP is a tax-free payment for landlords; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18363/24]
View answerThe Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) was introduced in July 2022 to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) arriving in Ireland from Ukraine. The ARP is paid at the rate of €800 per month per property with a unique Eircode (vacant or shared). The scheme is provided for under Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 and is administered by the Department of Social Protection on behalf of my Department.
A person providing accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) on a commercial basis is ineligible to participate in the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) scheme. Where a rental agreement is in place, the ARP is not payable. The ARP does not create a landlord and tenant relationship between the accommodation host who has qualified for the financial contribution and the Ukrainians living in the accommodation. It does not give Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection in accommodation an automatic right to tenancy.
There is no definitive evidence that the ARP has a displacement effect on the rental market. The majority of properties hosting BOTPs, particularly those arranged through the Irish Red Cross pledge and the “Offer a Home” scheme operated by local authorities, were not previously and are unlikely to be available in the private rental market. These properties are generally made available to displaced persons from Ukraine as a humanitarian gesture and the ARP recognises that generosity.
The Government will continue to keep the operation of the Scheme under review.
