As a result of the emergency EU Temporary Protection Directive, which was put in place at EU level to deal with the mass displacement of people from Ukraine, Ukrainians have been granted temporary protection in Ireland until 4 March 2025.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two years ago, Ireland has granted temporary protection to just over 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.

As part of the information provided to Ukrainians considering coming to Ireland by Citizens Information, the Government warns that there is a shortage of accommodation.

“You may have to stay in a community centre, sports ground or in tented accommodation for a period. In some cases, you might not get anywhere to stay, particularly if you are alone,” it warns.

The accommodation process for how Ukrainians who have been granted temporary protection in Ireland is set to change soon, although no date has yet been confirmed. 

Under the changes, new arrivals from Ukraine who seek state accommodation will be provided with accommodation for a maximum of 90 days, after which they will have to seek their own accommodation. This will not apply to Ukrainian people already in state accommodation ahead of the change. 

It’s also worth noting that after 4 March 2025 it is unclear whether those granted temporary protection will be permitted to stay, although Leo Varadkar said earlier this year that no one will be forced to leave until the war with Russia has ended. 

The procedures for how accommodation is provided to those seeking international protection differs again and is overseen by the Department of Equality and Integration and the International Protection Accommodation Services (Ipas).

While an international protection seeker is having their asylum claim process, Ireland is obliged to provide them with shelter under the EU’s Reception Conditions Directive.

International Protection applicants in Ireland are accommodated in IPAS centres while their applications are processed.

IPAS has contracted a significant amount of private accommodation due to a shortfall in available accommodation.

In 2000 a system of Direct Provision was introduced in Ireland and since then there has been a drive to dismantle it and replace it with a more fair and human rights-based one.

The Government had previously aimed to end Direct Provision and have own-door accommodation - owned by the state - in place by 2024. However, since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and a spike in international protection seekers from other countries, this commitment has largely been forgotten. 

Over the last two years, the Department of Integration and Equality has been under pressure to accommodate all individuals seeking international protection in the state and has been contracting hotels and other accommodation providers to be used as temporary accommodation centres. 

Despite this, the state has still been unable to accommodate all applicants and some individuals - mainly men- have been left to sleep rough on the streets. 

By the beginning of April 2024, the number of international protection seekers sleeping rough on the streets surpassed 1,000. 

Children and families are prioritised for state-provided accommodation.

Children seeking international protection cannot be accommodated with adults that are not their parents or guardians for child protection reasons. 

The length of time that accommodation is provided can vary and depends on the nature of the claim.

According to the Department of Justice, the average time for an asylum application to be processed is currently 18 months.  

If an individual or a family are successful in receiving asylum they then have the entitlements and obligations of any Irish resident and can access the same housing supports as any Irish person can. 

This means, once a person is granted international protection they are then entitled to apply for social housing in the same way that anyone else who is a citizen of Ireland or who has permission to stay in Ireland.

Accommodation is not withdrawn immediately, but those granted protection are required to transition out of the accommodation initially provided by the State. A source in the Department of Integration and Equality recently made the point to The Journal that a person or family in state-provided IPAS accommodation could be “moved out of it at a moment’s notice”.

By comparison, social housing is provided by the Government to people who cannot afford to buy or rent their own home on the private market.

The social housing system is entirely separate to IPAS. However as mentioned, once a person is granted international protection in Ireland they have the same right to apply for social housing as anyone else with permission to stay in Ireland. 

Social housing is mainly provided by local authorities across the country, with some also provided by approved housing bodies.

To qualify for social housing a household must meet all of the eligibility criteria, which primarily relate to income, availability of alternative accommodation and previous rent arrears. Rent for social housing is then based on a person’s ability to pay.

A person may get priority for housing support because of a disability or medical condition; this means they will go closer to the top of the waiting list. 

When a person applies for social housing, their application is assessed by the local authority and if they are deemed to qualify they are placed on the social housing waiting list. 

Each local authority has its own rules for deciding the order of priority on their social housing waiting list with most local authorities prioritising people who have been on the waiting list the longest. 

Some local authorities also operate a points system, with points allocated to households depending on their circumstances. 

For example, a person may go up or down on the list if their circumstances change or if the circumstances of other people on the list change.

Priority is usually given to families and older people rather than single people or couples without children.

There are also specific waiting lists for older people, people who are homeless and Traveller-specific accommodation. 

If a person is renting from the private sector while waiting for local authority housing, they may qualify for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). If a person does qualify, their housing need is considered to be met and they will no longer be on the housing list.

However, if a person still wants to be considered for social housing they can apply to be place on the local authority’s transfer list.