Payments for refugee accommodation
Deputy Kehoe said providers of accommodation for Ukrainians and refugees were owed large sums and needed payment quickly. The Taoiseach said he would engage the Minister and asked for the specific cases so the Department could follow up.
Something has come to my attention over the past month.
I have spoken to some of my colleagues and this is not just an issue in County Wexford. I am talking about accommodation being provided for Ukrainians and for the refugee crisis in both hotels and other accommodation centres. These places have been awaiting payment from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for quite some time. I know of two providers, one being a hotel and the other a centre, that are owed over €400,000. This is not an isolated incident. The hotelier I spoke to this morning said he is considering his own position in hosting Ukrainians because of the lack of payment coming from the Department. I have been in contact with the Department about another case and I can get no reply whatsoever from it except for an acknowledgment. An acknowledgment will not pay the bills for these centres. This is very serious. I ask the Taoiseach and his officials to intervene here. It is a pay issue within the Department-----
Comment on this
They need to get this issue sorted out.
Comment on this
I will engage with the Minister on that. I ask the Deputy to send on the details of the specific cases to the Minister's Department and to copy it to me as well. We will certainly follow up. We have raised issues of this kind and the Minister is very clear that every effort is being made to accelerate payments on a timely basis. That is obviously very important for those providing these services.