Deirdre Garvey, Secretary General, Irish Red Cross said: “The war in Ukraine has impacted on the lives of millions of people in ways that we cannot begin to imagine. We have seen an extraordinary humanitarian response in Ireland that continues to flourish – a movement of kindness where individuals and the state work in partnership to provide refuge. The ARP programme has been a fantastic success providing not just a value-for-money accommodation solution but a lifeline for thousands of very vulnerable people. The scale of what has been achieved is absolutely amazing – 19,000 Irish households have opened their doors, their hearts and their lives to welcome more than 35,000 displaced Ukrainians. The value of what this movement of kindness has created cannot be overlooked. This is the time to explore how we can build upon that to develop a sustainable response for the future. Renewing ARP for a further year will give breathing space and clarity in the short-term for Ukrainians and their hosts and we very much welcome that. 

Niall O’Keeffe, Head of International and Migration, Irish Red Cross said: “We know that more than half of those hosting Ukrainians are open to extending their hosting arrangement and opening their homes to other cohorts in the future. We also know that the ARP is important to hosts, with 86% telling us that it enables them to continue the arrangement. The experience of hosts is largely positive, with 91% telling us so and a key challenge was their fears for their guests’ future. Hosts are not only providing a safe place to shelter, in most cases they are supporting vulnerable people, who never planned to be here, to pick up the pieces, to rebuild their life in Ireland, to navigate our systems and culture, to integrate and participate in our communities. Their value is far more than that of temporary accommodation providers.