A senior Ukrainian official has criticised Ireland’s plans to scale back support for refugees, warning that the country’s housing crisis will not be solved by reducing assistance to those who fled the war.
Sergiy Kyslytsya, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, said Ireland’s housing problems predated the arrival of Ukrainians. He was commenting after Dublin confirmed plans to phase out state-funded accommodation contracts housing more than 16,000 refugees.
“Even if the majority of Ukrainians leave Ireland, it will not solve problems that existed before the Ukrainians moved to Ireland,” Kyslytsya said, stressing that many Ukrainians are employed, pay taxes and contribute to the economy.
The move is part of a broader tightening of support. Ireland has already limited accommodation for new arrivals to 90 days and is considering incentives to encourage voluntary returns.
Earlier measures also drew sharp criticism from Kyiv. Larysa Gerasko expressed anger after the Irish government approved a major reduction in weekly welfare payments for Ukrainian refugees, cutting support from €232 to €38.80 per adult.
Irish officials argue the reforms are necessary to ease pressure on public services and the housing market.
