Government leaders have agreed to pay €400 a month to every home hosting Ukrainian refugees.
The Irish Mirror understands that the cash bonus will be a flat rate for every home that takes in Ukrainian refugees fleeing the terrible war being raged by Russia in their home country.
The scheme will require some legislation so it is not expected that the first payments will not start landing in bank accounts until July.
However, kind and generous hosts who have opened their homes can expect a considerable cash bonanza at that stage as back pay of full arrears will be paid from then.
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The scheme will cost between €20million and €50million for this year.
It will still have to be formally applied for to ensure it isn’t abused and all applicants must be tax compliant.
The necessary Garda vetting scheme will also be expedited.
The payments will not be given out to anyone who is charging rent and commercial enterprises will be excluded.
The decision was agreed at the special Cabinet subcommittee on the Ukrainian refugees humanitarian crisis meeting on Thursday evening.
The meeting was led by the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, along with Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar and Green leader, Eamon Ryan.
It was also attended by the Children’s Minister, Roderic O’Gorman, Housing Minister, Darragh O’Brien, Social Protection Minister, Heather Humphreys, Finance Minister, Paschal Donohoe and Public Expenditure Minister, Michael McGrath.
It was also agreed at the meeting that new information campaigns would be launched that would be in Ukrainian and Russian as well as English.
The meeting was also told that the provision of accommodation by local authorities was proving “the most successful” way of rolling out the emergency housing needs required.
Schools, community halls, disused council properties and dormitory halls in colleges and universities are among the most effective, the meeting was told.
There are now almost 30,000 Ukrainian war refugees that have come here for safe sanctuary.
Just over two thirds of these have been welcomed by the State and provided with accommodation, while the rest have organised their own supports through families, friends, or third parties.
The Irish Mirror first revealed last month that the Taoiseach was considering cash bonuses for refugee hosts.
The Taoiseach was speaking to reporters in Finland when he first mooted the payments.
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