The State has spent more than €12 million on transporting Ukrainian beneficiaries of Temporary Protection to accommodation centres throughout the country since February 2022, new figures have revealed.
The State spending was revealed by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, in response to a Parliamentary Question asked by Carol Nolan TD.
Deputy Carol Nolan had asked the Minister for Justice the cost per year of transporting temporary protection applicants to accommodation centres from 2020 to date in 2025.
In response, the Minister said that the Irish State and the Irish people “have responded with exceptional support and generosity since 2022 in supporting people seeking temporary protection here from the war in Ukraine.”
“Since February 2022, over 89,500 Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection were provided accommodation by the State. Almost 24,300 of those are currently in State supported accommodation and over 38,000 are in hosted accommodation supported by the Accommodation Recognition Payment,” Mr O’Callaghan said.
€4.2 million was spent in 2022, which increased to €4.75 million in 2023. Last year, an additional €2.43 million was spent, along with €700,000 this year to date.
The revelations come after Minister for Education, Helen McEntee, told the Oireachtas in recent weeks that State-funded transport is currently provided for the 6,800 children who have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine, as well as for those residing in IPAS/EROC centres.
Deputy Carol Nolan also asked the Minister for Justice if he or officials from his Department had met with their Northern Ireland counterparts to discuss measures designed to reduce or track the flow of persons travelling over the Border to access international protection in the Republic.
In response, Minister Jim O’Callaghan said that implementing effective border security arrangements was “a priority” as Minister. However, he pointed out that immigration is not a devolved matter in the North.
“The Home Office is therefore responsible for immigration policy across the entire United Kingdom and there is extensive engagement, cooperation and data-sharing at all levels between my Department’s officials and their Home Office counterparts, as well as significant operational cooperation between the Gardaí, UK Border Force, UK policing services and the Police Service of Northern Ireland in relation to both immigration and criminal matters.”
The Minister said that the Programme for Government was committed to carrying out joint threat analysis with other jurisdictions.
“I would also add that since my appointment as Minister for Justice, I have had a number of engagements with the UK Home Secretary, Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, where we discussed cooperation in respect of managing the Common Travel Area, and our shared objectives to provide for effective management of migration and border security.”