The cost of Ireland taking in thousands of refugees is going to cost the State “hundreds of millions of euro,” Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath has said.
The Irish Mirror understands that one estimated figure given to Government Ministers outlined for every 1,000 Ukrainian refugees who will be accommodated in a hotel, it will cost €33 million every year.
So far over 2,500 refugees have arrived into the country but Government Ministers expect the figure to rise significantly in the coming weeks with some Ministers stating we could take up to 100,000 refugees.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Minister McGrath said: “The cost will be significant.
“It's not possible yet to make a considered estimate of what it will be.
“Much depends on the number of people that will come, how long they’ll stay and how many of them actually need accommodation to be provided by the State.
“I think it is fair to assume that costs will be in the order of hundreds of millions of euro in the period ahead when you consider it across health, social protection, education, accommodation costs and so on.
“From our point of view as a Government we set an expenditure ceiling back on Budget day of €87.6 billion as you know that involved a very significant Covid contingency.
“The Government will meet the costs that are associated with supporting the Ukrainian people.
“So there will be a cost but whatever the cost is, it is a cost we can afford and it’s compares as insignificant to the suffering and human misery that the people of Ukraine are facing.
“Significant costs but this is something we simply must do but I think the Irish people will expect us to be generous and to be comprehensive in our response to this and that will be the hallmark of this Government’s approach.”
Senior Government sources confirmed to the Irish Mirror that Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman had given Cabinet Ministers an estimated cost at a recent briefing regarding the housing of refugees.
The source said: “It’s very expensive. For every 1,000 refugees who will be accommodated by the State in a hotel, it’ll cost about €33 million per year.”
On Wednesday, over 7,000 Irish people have signed up with the Red Cross to express their interest in housing a Ukrainian refugee.
Officials are currently working on plans to use army facilities as well as hotels to house Ukrainians here.
And the Government is also looking at considering modular housing, according to Minister Roderic O’Gorman.
A third of the 2,500 refugees that have already arrived into Ireland are children, the Justice Minister said on Wednesday.
Education Minister Norma Foley said she has spoken with the Ukraine Minister for Education and said the conversation was “harrowing.”
He said more than 250 schools have been destroyed and it is his view that there are so many more that will come to a similar fate.
She said: “I assured him that it is our absolute intention to make provision for the children and young people that will come into our care.”
She said provision will be made there are resources in schools that will help with language barriers and support for families on how to cope with the war.
She said she is aware of children who have arrived from Ukraine and have already started school here.
She said the Department is sharing data on where there is capacity in schools across the country so families can be directed to particular areas if possible.
