Sinn Féin has warned the Government their new rules for Ukrainian refugees risks making them homeless.

From today onwards, anyone arriving from the war torn country will receive a reduced social welfare payment of almost €39 a week while they remain in State provided accommodation.

They can also only stay in one of six Designated Accommodation Centres for a period of 90 days before being required to look for an alternative place to stay.

Sinn Féin's Social Protection spokesperson Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said his party supports the policy but are concerned about the pressure it will pile on the rental market. 

“In large parts of the country, they won’t be able to find other forms of accommodation and they could end up homeless,” he said. 

“In other parts of the country, they’re just going to end up where rent might be lower. 

“They’re going to end up competing with people in the private rental market, adding further fuel to the fire in terms of a rental market that’s completely dysfunctional. 

“In either event, I don’t think it’s going to work.” 

Ukrainians living in Ireland protest outside Leinster House in Dublin over the Russian invasion. Picture by: Rory Walsh

Speaking in Washington DC ahead of his meeting with US President Joe Biden, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government can no longer guarantee accommodation because of the rising numbers of people seeking asylum in Ireland. 

Mr Varadkar also denied claims the Government is inviting migrants to live in Ireland. 

“There’s a bit of a myth that somehow the Irish Government is somehow encouraging people to come to Ireland to claim asylum or bringing them in,” he said. 

“That’s not the case - there are 100 million people on the move around the world and the push factors are poverty climate change, war, all of those things and it’s not a surprise that a very small percentage might make their way to Ireland.” 

By the end of 2023, an estimated 102,000 Ukrainains had moved to Ireland since the invasion of their country.

Main image: Ukrainians gather on O'Connell Street, Dublin, to mark 365 days of the Ukraine war, 24/02/2023.