State contracts for housing Ukrainians to be reduced starting with providers with ‘compliance concerns’

The State is reducing the number of contracts it has for housing Ukrainian refugees starting with those where there are “compliance concerns” about the providers, Oireachtas members have been told.

In a briefing note for TDs and Senators, the Department of Integration said there had been a decrease in the number of people arriving from Ukraine and the number of refugees requesting accommodation from the State was also falling.

There is also said to be greater numbers of Ukrainians moving on from State-provided accommodation.

The number of Ukrainians arriving into Ireland dropped after the Government announced plans to restrict supports.

A 90-day limit on State-provided accommodation and reduced welfare rates for people living in it were introduced in March.

[ More than 107,000 PPSN numbers issued to people from Ukraine ]

The number of people coming from Ukraine who have been granted temporary protection has fallen from an average of 340 per week in January to 188 per week this month according to figures from the Department of Justice.

The note to TDs and Senators said that, as a result of the fall in numbers, “the department will be ending contracts that we no longer need with short-term accommodation providers over the next few months”.

Contracts will be ended in instances “where compliance concerns exist” and also “To reduce the total number of contracts in place specifically for people from Ukraine who have been granted temporary protection, to return accommodation to the private sector where possible, ensure better oversight and better value for money.”

The notes adds: “This reduction will focus first on ending contracts where there are compliance concerns.”

It says that such concerns can include health, safety and wellbeing issues for the refugees as well as overcharging and “unregulated” secondary properties being used by the providers.

[ Ukraine inches closer to EU dream after decade of war ]

The department said it would be writing to the people impacted by the ending of contracts to tell them that if they wished to continue to receive State-funded accommodation it would be provided at a different location. Those who request State accommodation will be moved and where possible this will be done in the summer months to reduce disruption to children attending schools.

In response to queries, a Department of Integration statement said: “To date 255 providers have been investigated for compliance concerns which vary in nature.

“Sixty-nine providers with 125 properties between them have been terminated for compliance reasons and 57 providers have been regularised with compliance concerns addressed.”

[ Russia missile attack on Kyiv region injures two and damages houses, Ukraine says ]

It added that: “Approximately 6,500 BOTPs [beneficiaries of temporary protection] are associated with properties that have been reviewed by compliance team with moves resulting for 3,800.

“Where there is an immediate concern on health and safety and this is established by [the department] moves of BOTPs take place at short notice.”