The Irish government announced on Monday that it will end state‑provided accommodation for a portion of the Ukrainian migrants in the country and cut the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) for those living in private rentals. The changes will affect roughly 16,000 people housed in government accommodation and an additional 42,000 who receive the ARP.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, an estimated 125,000 Ukrainians have been granted temporary protection in Ireland. According to local media, Dublin has spent more than €438 million on housing support for about half of those migrants.
Under the new plan, accommodation funded by the state will be withdrawn starting in August. Affected tenants will receive at least three months’ notice before being required to leave. The properties will be returned to the tourism sector, repurposed for other uses or placed on the private rental market.
The ARP, which currently pays €600 per month to Ukrainians living in private accommodation, will be reduced to €400. The reduction is slated to take effect in September and will be fully implemented by March 2025. The payment cut will impact an estimated 42,000 Ukrainians who are currently receiving the benefit.
The government said the measures will apply to Ukrainians who arrived before March 2024, with exemptions for individuals who cannot live independently and for “highly vulnerable” persons. Prime Minister Micheál Martin indicated that the vulnerable category will likely include women, children, people with disabilities, the elderly and those requiring additional care, although exact criteria are still being defined.
The policy shift has drawn criticism from migrant‑rights groups and opposition politicians, who describe it as “immoral and unethical” and warn of serious difficulties for Ukrainian families. Migration Minister Colm Brophy recently suggested that the state could offer financial incentives to encourage voluntary repatriation, noting that Ireland’s support scheme is more generous than those in many other EU member states.
The move follows a broader trend in the European Union, where several countries—including the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Poland and Hungary—have begun scaling back social assistance for Ukrainian migrants. Across the bloc, about 4.35 million Ukrainians are registered under the temporary protection scheme.
The Irish government has not indicated any further changes to the overall temporary protection status, but the housing reforms represent a significant adjustment to the support framework that has been in place since the conflict began. Continued monitoring of the policy’s impact on the affected Ukrainian community will be essential.
