Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2026
588. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection if assistance can be offered to the processing of an ARP application for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33040/26]
View answerThe Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) was introduced to recognise the contribution of members of the public who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Temporary Protection Beneficiaries displaced by the war in Ukraine. The scheme is provided for under Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 and is administered by the Department of Social Protection on behalf of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.
The ARP is a goodwill payment that recognises the generosity of private hosts. The payment is not intended to substitute rent, and it is not available where there is a rental agreement in place between the host providing accommodation and the guest.
Changes to the scheme’s eligibility criteria were introduced under Part 3 of the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026. From 3 March 2026, new applications for properties that have been registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) at any time since 4 March 2022 no longer meet the scheme’s eligibility criteria. Tenants in rental properties are also no longer eligible to make new applications for the scheme. Advance notice of the change was communicated in the weeks prior to the introduction of the legislation via the Department’s websites and through its network of support organisations assisting with the Ukraine response.
According to the information available, the property which the Deputy refers to continued to be registered with the RTB on or after 4 March 2022 and therefore does not meet the scheme’s criteria. If the person concerned provides evidence that the RTB registration ended on the date the tenancy ended, the application will be re-examined.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
