Richard O'Donoghue: Urges Means Test on State-Provided Housing
Richard O'Donoghue criticised the use of state-provided housing by a minority who claim to be from Ukraine while owning expensive properties, and he called for a means test to ensure support reaches the vulnerable. He praised widespread public help for Ukrainians and welcomed those who are integrating and working in society.
Main argument
O'Donoghue said support should prioritise vulnerable people and that state-provided accommodation must not subsidise those who can afford property.
Praise for community support
He commended people across the country who opened their homes and supported Ukrainians, saying that many arrivals are integrating, working and contributing to society.
Allegations of abuse
He asserted a minority of arrivals claim to be from Ukraine yet have bought properties worth over a million euros while living in accommodation supplied by the government.
Means test proposal
He argued for introducing a means test so the state can house people who genuinely need help and ensure funding is directed to the vulnerable rather than to those with the means to secure private housing.
Concerns for local residents
He warned that Irish people and other workers in the country struggle to find accommodation while some state-subsidised residents appear to have substantial private resources.
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Minister, best of luck in your role. Minister, I'm 100% the same as my colleague here, Ken O'Flynn. There's been people in this country and have gone out of their way to help people from Ukraine and was the right thing to do. Across this country, people opened up their houses, they brought people into the rooms, which was fantastic. But there is a minority of people that have come in claiming they're from Ukraine, have bought properties here of over a million euros and they were living in accommodation supplied by government. So for the people that are vulnerable from Ukraine, 100%. For the people that are vulnerable from any place in the world that we can help if we're able to do so, 100%. But people that take it to another level and come in and have two and three properties here now and have been put up by the state, I have a big problem with that. We have Irish people here that can't have housing themselves. We have people that come in from other countries here to work and they can't get accommodation themselves. But if we brought in something on a means test, from the point of view of people that come into this country that are here being subsidised by the state, then we can actually house people that are in need of housing and house people that are in need of funding to do so. I know an awful lot of Ukrainian people that have come here and that are working and are integrating into society and have made a life for themselves here and I say best of luck to you because they're integrated and they're helping society, 100%. But we have a minority of people that are coming into this country claiming they're wanting and their financials are shown a completely different story. That's not helping the people from Ukraine or anywhere else or it's not helping the Irish people. So let's put in something to help the vulnerable but also deal with the people that actually have the funds.
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