The Government is considering increasing the monthly payment for those providing accommodation to Ukrainian refugees to €800.
It comes as the coalition plans to issue renewed calls for members of the public to provide accommodation as it grapples to source places for those fleeing the war.
Sources told The Mirror that the call will be led by the Department of Housing and local authorities.
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Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan met with Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman and Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien on Monday evening to discuss the crisis.
Some 43 new arrivals were left without accommodation last weekend.
Amongst the ideas discussed was increasing the €400 monthly Accommodation Recognition Payment to €800, senior sources told The Mirror.
While the payment will increase, the decision will have to be signed off by Cabinet. However, it was unclear whether it would be signed off at next week’s Cabinet meeting or at an incorporeal meeting this week.
Other plans understood to be under consideration include asking Ukrainian refugees in hotel accommodation to pay for their own food. This plan would be introduced “gradually”.
It is understood that Local Authorities have identified 475 buildings that could be refurbished to provide accommodation to refugees.
Some 50 were already in use by the Department of Integration providing 2,145 emergency beds.
A further 35 properties (1,400 beds) were used immediately by the Department of Integration as no refurbishment was required.
Some 82 properties were withdrawn from the process during engagement with owners, 24 did not meet the standard and a further 48 have not progressed for other reasons.
It is understood that the work is progressing on the other 201 properties.
The Irish Mirror also understands that work has begun on building modular homes at a site in Cavan. Additional homes are being built in Cork and Tipperary.
In total, 700 modular homes will be built to accommodate 2,800 people.
While it was expected that the first homes would be completed by November, the Office of Public Works confirmed to The Mirror that they will not come on stream until January or February 2023.
The Irish Mirror also understands that 88 properties have been pledged to the Irish Red Cross in the last week. This is said to include homes, commercial buildings and institutional buildings.
Speaking on Monday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that Ireland has a “legal and moral” obligation to take people in who are fleeing the war in Ukraine.
He accepted that “we can do things better in terms of some of our systems”.
He also acknowledged that far-right groups could use the current accommodation shortages to legitimise their commentary
“That would be a concern that certain groups will exploit this to boost their political agenda around migration,” he said.
“That would be very, very regrettable. I think we have to draw heart from the fact that so many communities out there from the very beginning have responded very warmly.
“They won't be on online platforms talking about their generosity and that sometimes gets missed in the narrative.”
Some 58,000 Ukrainian people have arrived in Ireland since the start of the war in February. Over 45,000 of these people are in State-provided accommodation. Another 15,000 people are living in direct provision.
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