The Department of Integration has set aside €641m to cover the costs associated with housing refugees from Ukraine in the coming year.
A further €395 million has been allocated for International Protection Applicants in 2023.
However, Minister Roderic O'Gorman is expected to tell the Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth that he expects the funding for these areas to "come under pressure in the course of the year."
Minister O’Gorman will outline how 20% of his budget is set aside for accommodation for refugees from Ukraine.
The vast majority of the allocation goes on commercial providers. Some of the funding will be spent on modular housing and on Early Learning and Care, Tusla and Youth Affairs supports and services.
In his opening statement, he is expected to tell members that this year will be "challenging" for the Department in meeting the accommodation requirements for International Protection applicants and Ukrainian refugees.
Since the latter half of 2021, there has been a sharp increase in the number of people seeking international protection and "last year there was a new record with just over 15,000 arriving here."
He will tell the members he is working closely with colleagues across the Government in seeking to address the pressures of this on an already stretched system and that he will keep the Government informed of the cost pressures.
