According to one TD, the Department of Housing has spent €1.6 million on cars for use by members of the Ukrainian community, which has been described as “utterly astonishing” and “financially indefensible” by Independent Ireland TD Ken O’Flynn.
In a parliamentary reply from Minister James Browne, the Cork North Central TD says he was informed that the Department funded the purchase of eight cars under the Community Car Initiative (CCI) supporting the Offer a Home scheme for beneficiaries of Temporary Protection from Ukraine.
“The explosive information I have received today will further consolidate the perception that an egregious level of double standards was applied with respect to the provision of supports for Ukrainians and the wall of indifference and tightening of the purse strings that many other communities or organisations met when it came to seeking funding for travel connectivity,” O’Flynn said.
He highlighted that the full financial implications of the initiative have not yet been fully calculated.
“I want to emphasise that the €1.6 million in costs in no way reflects the full extent of the financial burden placed upon the taxpayer as it does not include the employment costs for the drivers who were contracted to deliver the service,” he explained.
“I and my team are currently collating that data and we will make it available when that work is done.”
O’Flynn also expressed frustration that local voluntary organisations have faced difficulty securing funding.
“This will infuriate people, especially here in Cork when see our own Cancer Connects, that has a network of approximately 430 voluntary drivers covering the entirety of Cork County basically having to beg and borrow for an increase in multi-annual funding of €50,000,” he said.
“Yet here we have a scheme whereby the Department handed over an average of €200k per car for what was essentially a personalised chauffeured transport scheme for the Ukrainian community, irrespective of how the minister wants to characterise.”
The TD pledged to continue investigating and exposing additional costs related to this and similar initiatives.
“There will certainly be more to follow on this story as I am absolutely determined to expose and highlight the hidden costs that the Irish taxpayers have had to carry for gold-plated schemes that exhibit this level of financial favouritism,” O’Flynn said.