Ireland will not cap the number of refugees it accepts even as the Government admits it is facing a struggle to house arriving Ukrainians, the Minister for Justice said.
Around 25,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived since the war began at the end of February.
While numbers arriving have fallen in recent days, the Government expects it to rise again in the coming weeks.
Minister Helen McEntee, speaking in Government Buildings, insisted that Ukrainian refugees will continue to be welcomed.
She indicated the Government will avoid, if possible, forcing people or businesses to give up property or open their homes to Ukrainian refugees.
The Millstreet Arena in Co Cork is being used to house at least 70 refugees, with the expectation that mass or emergency forms of accommodation will play a more central role in Irish efforts to welcome Ukrainians.
"Obviously we want to make sure that we don't find ourselves in a situation where we don't have space and accommodation, because we've been very clear we're not going to turn people away. We're not going to put a cap on the number of people," Ms McEntee said.
The minister said "every option" is being explored.
"We want to encourage people to come forward, not to force anybody to have to give up their property or accommodation."
Ms McEntee said she would back plans to financially help households taking in Ukrainian refugees.
"There are people who are looking for it, there are others who aren't, but I think obviously if we get to a situation where we want to encourage more people to offer up accommodation, that might be an option.
"We're very aware that there's an increase in costs in electricity and fuel, even in food prices.
"So I think what we'd have to establish is how we would cover those costs.
"I don't think anybody's looking to make money out of this."
Govt considering options to assist people financially
The Taoiseach has said that Government is considering "options" to assist people financially, if they offer their homes to Ukrainian refugees.
Micheál Martin met with the Minister for Finance and Minister for Social Protection this morning to discuss those options.
However, he said that in the first instance it was important to accelerate the turn-around of pledged accommodation.
He insisted that the Government is currently focused on looking after people as they enter the country and that a cap on numbers has not been explored.
Mr Martin said that work is underway to find larger facilities to accommodate refugees, in addition to sites at Gormanston, Millstreet and Citywest.
He also spoke of the efforts to identify properties that can be used in the medium to long-term.
A group of former local authority public servants have come together to locate those buildings.
Mr Martin criticised the ongoing illegal invasion of Ukraine, adding that it was clear that the Russian president was seeking to create an energy, food and migration crisis.
Minister defends use of mass housing for refugees
Group accommodation will become a "more substantial" part of Ireland's plan to house Ukrainian refugees, according to Minister for Integration Roderic O'Gorman.
The minister said last night they started to use the Millstreet Centre in Cork, with 70 Ukrainians housed there and are likely to be there for a number of weeks.
He said that while it is not the preference or gold standard, he stated that "we are in a crisis situation" with a war in Europe.
"We are doing our very best to provide shelter and safety," the minister said.
By the end of May, it is expected that between 29,000 and 33,000 Ukrainians will be seeking accommodation in Ireland.
At present, there are 24,438 Ukrainians in Ireland, 1,271 are being accommodated in emergency beds. This is out of a total of 2,325 such beds available across the State.
"It is not tented, it is indoor, partitioned inside so people have privacy for their sleeping spaces," he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
Dining and other facilities are shared and there are wraparound supports for people there, Mr O’Gorman added.
"Accommodation like Millstreet is going to become a larger feature about how we accommodate people and we have to be upfront about that," the Green Party TD said.
"Accommodation like Millstreet is going to become a larger feature of how we provide for [Ukrainian] people," says Minister for Integration Roderic O'Gorman | Read more: https://t.co/kMk0GocP7W pic.twitter.com/wrBB68rd6B
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 21, 2022
"If you look at Poland or Romania, they had large sports stadia with camp beds very early on in the process. It is going to be part of the solution, I believe."
Up to now, he said, refugees have been housed mainly through hotel accommodation, but that a limit has been reached, particularly coming into the summer season, meaning they are now sourcing other accommodation.
The Dublin West TD could not give an exact number of the current vacant homes being made available to refugees, but that they have referred 850 vacant homes to local authorities nationwide, which have been offered and inspected and ready for Ukrainians to move into.
He also explained why some people may have retracted their offers of accommodation.
"I think people thought, hoped that it was going to be a brief war, but as people understand the nature of this war, the nature of commitment, I can understand why people didn't feel they could offer shared accommodation for a longer time."
Meanwhile, the Department of Transport has today announced emergency bus services for Ukrainian refugees placed in rural areas.
According to the department, the National Transport Authority will fast-track a series of network improvements including extra bus stops, route changes and more services.
To support Ukrainian refugees housed away from existing public transport services, the NTA will provide supplementary transport connections to local centres.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said: "We want to ensure that passengers have access to essential services such as shopping centres, places of employment, and medical centres.
"As we continue to welcome individuals and families arriving in Ireland from Ukraine, a once-off Community Transport Fund will also be established to support occasional social travel requests."
Ukraine Ambassador calls for further sanctions against Russia
Ukraine's Ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko said it is important that the EU imposes a sixth package of sanctions, including an embargo on Russian oil and gas.
"It is very important to us," she said.
She added that sanctions "always hurt someone", as she highlighted that there will be economic losses, but this needs to be considered in the context of "lives lost".
Ms Gerasko said the Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Taoiseach Micheál Martin discussed yesterday how to implement sanctions on Russian companies.
Mr Shmyhal had asked the Taoiseach "to be a leader" in the process of granting Ukraine EU membership, she added.
"We know that Ireland is very successful country, and we need your experience."
She said that it concerns her that some Ukrainians may have to stay in temporary emergency accommodation in Ireland if there is not enough settings to house them, adding that she does " fully understand the housing challenge Ireland is facing".
The ambassador said that Ukrainians are very grateful to Ireland for kindness and being accommodated here.
"Many Ukrainians are working now and learning English," she said.
Additional reporting: Press Association and Tommy Meskill
