Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2026: Motion
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-24
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Robbie Gallagher (FF), Labour Panel

I welcome the Minister of State back to the House, along with his officials. I thank him for outlining the detail of the ARP scheme, the continuation of it and the phasing out of it completely over the next year or so. As a country and as a people, we can be very proud of our response to the Ukrainian community when they fled here during the illegal invasion of their country by Russia. It was an emergency situation that required an emergency response. The Irish people and the Government can be very proud of how they responded to the Ukrainian people who fled to our country seeking shelter. It is very important we make that point. Unfortunately, we are now entering the fourth year of the war and it is more important than ever that we continue to stress our steadfast support for the people of Ukraine in their attempt to try to find a sustainable peace in their country.
In relation to the matter before us, namely, the reduction and phasing out of the ARP scheme in a phased and orderly fashion, as the Minister of State said, it is an matter I very much support. At the time it was mentioned there would be issues in regard to the private rental market and I think the Government has recognised that.
Having said that, I was interested in the fact that the Minister of State referred to a survey carried out by the Red Cross which indicated that 91% of those who got involved in the scheme were not landlords.
The scheme has served a purpose. At its peak, there were in the region of 120,000 or 121,000 Ukrainians here. That has decreased to something around 80,000. It is important to note the breakdown of that number. Of the 80,000 who are currently here, over 30,000 are in employment. Another 30,000 comprise children and young people. The balance is made up of the elderly, people in care or those in full-time education. In fairness to the Ukrainian people, they have rolled up their sleeves. They have helped by getting themselves jobs, and they are of benefit to the economy. Most people would agree that in a situation where people are working and have an income coming in, it is only fair that they would pay their way. Most of the Ukrainian people I have spoken to have no issue whatsoever with that.
I am happy to fully agree to the proposal before us, which has already been passed by the Dáil. The scheme has served a purpose, but it is time that we phase it out in an orderly fashion, as the Minister of State indicated. I again thank all those who have properties that they would not ordinarily rent out in the private housing market for coming forward and offering up their homes and rooms in their houses at a time of need for Ukrainian people. We can be very proud of our contribution in that regard.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-24/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:46+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-24