I welcome the renewal of the ARP this evening and I will vote in favour of it. It will offer clarity to the 42,000 Ukrainians in ARP-supported homes but also to the thousands of Irish families who are actively supporting them. It is very important that the Minister provide clarity on what was being briefed in the papers in terms of the move from a payment of €600 to €400. It is important that the Minister bear in mind the cost-of-living crisis that is unfolding. The Minister will reply that the payment was never a direct monetary compensation. That is correct but it is undoubtedly part of the calculus for some families who have properties supported, particularly when they are actively involved in supporting a Ukrainian family. We took important steps to support families across the country yesterday and it has to be borne in mind that we may well see a continued cost-of-living spike later this year when the Minister is considering reducing that payment. I ask him to bear that point in mind. We also have to remember that in terms of value for money, the pledged accommodation system supported by the recognition payment is one of the most cost-effective ways of supporting vulnerable people. The pledged accommodation by the Irish Red Cross and the offer-a-home accommodation by the local authorities is a model of good practice across the European Union. That was not the case at the start, when there were teething problems, but supported by the ARP, this programme has become hugely successful. We should be looking to replicate it for other vulnerable people. Maybe for people leaving international protection accommodation, we should be looking at doing more with this model, not doing less with it. Finally, I agree with other speakers who have said that if the temporary protection directive concludes next year, there needs to be a pathway for the 80,000 Ukrainians here. Others have spoken about merging them into the IP process. That would be a disaster as it would flood the IP process. There needs to be a pathway.

Sentiment score: 0.27