1. What resources are available to help my guest find work?
There are a number of resources available to support your guest to find work. We recommend that your guest reach out their relevant Local Authority Integration Team. These teams have been set up in each Local Authority. They help displaced people to become independent, settle into their new communities, and participate in Irish life. You can find more details on how to contact them here.
Your guest can also contact their local Intreo office for more support. Intreo is a single point of contact for all employment and income supports. You can find your nearest Intreo office here.
Local Development Companies provide a range of employment support services which can include guidance services, training, childcare, wellbeing and personal development. You can find your nearest Local Development Company here.
Your guest can also search for jobs directly through jobs.ie or LinkedIn.
As your guest accesses these services, you can continue to play an important role by encouraging them in their job search and help them to gain confidence in their new environment. People can be worried about finding a job due to the language barrier. Complimenting them on their language progress can help them to continue to gain confidence in their abilities.
2. I was previously with Helping Irish Hosts, how do I contact my new caseworker?
We’re delighted to have your placement under the Irish Red Cross. If you have any casework needs, please contact us at MigrationCrisis@redcross.ie and one of our casework team will follow up with you.
Alternatively, you can call 1800 753 343 during business hours.
3. Do the Irish Red Cross collect next of kin information from guests?
The Irish Red Cross does not actively request next of kin data from either hosts or guests under the Pledge Programme.
4. Should I collect my guest’s next of kin information?
While we can understand a host’s rationale to want to have this information from their guest, any data sharing between hosts and guests is a matter between themselves with both parties consenting.
5. Where can my guest access the guest focused webinars?
Links to the guest focused webinars will be shared in the Irish Red Cross Telegram, Instagram channels and our website. Recordings of previous webinars will be uploaded to our website and our Youtube Channel.
6. What is a fair amount to ask my guest to pay for utilities?
Deciding a fair amount for your guest(s) to pay for utilities can depend on a number of different factors. Household costs vary depending on the heating supply and what type of property you have pledged.
If you are sharing your home with your guests, you may consider one of the following methods:
Option 1: Percentage of usage
One fair and straightforward way to share utility costs with your guest is to divide them based on the number of people using the utilities in the household.
If there are 4 people living in the home, and 1 of them is a guest, each person is considered to use roughly 25% of the household utilities. This means the guest would contribute 25% to the total cost for shared utilities
Option 2: Set Amount per Week
Instead of splitting bills exactly, you can agree on a fixed amount the guest contributes on a weekly or monthly basis based on the relevant percentage of average utility costs.
While you can set a certain amount at the beginning of the hosting arrangement, you can change it based on the circumstances. For example, energy bills will increase in winter and decrease in summer. We recommend having open and honest conversations with your guest(s) about utilities and clarifying this early on in the placement. You may choose to look at bills together when they arrive and decide what works best for your household.
If your guest is living in your vacant property, it is understandable that the guests are responsible for paying all the utility bills.
In either shared or vacant scenario, it is best all parties agree on how utilities will be handled early on in the placement.
7. What utilities should my guest be paying under the ARP?
The utilities your guest contributes to will depend on the hosting arrangement you have in place. Beneficiaries under Temporary Protection can receive social welfare supports. While the amount varies, these payments are intended to help cover utilities.
If you are sharing your home with your guest:
Your guest can contribute to shared household costs such as household utilities and, if applicable, food. Some guests/hosts may prefer to keep their food costs separate. For shared items like salt, pepper, oil, and other cooking staples, you might find it helpful to set up a small household kitty everyone contributes to.
If your guest is living in a vacant property you own:
In this case, it is understandable that the guest covers all utility costs related to the property.
Tips for Hosts:
> Always have open and honest conversations with your guest about utility contributions.
> Show them a copy of a recent bill (before their arrival) to give a clear idea of the usual household costs.
> Flexibility and clear communication can help ensure the arrangement feels fair for everyone.
8. I’m worried about my guest’s mental health. What should I do?
We think it’s wonderful hosts care about their guest's wellbeing. Outside of one posing a risk to themselves or others, a key thing to understand about mental health challenges is that an individual must want help for themselves; it can’t be imposed.
You’re already doing a great job by supporting them and providing them with a safe place to live. The Irish Red Cross provides a number of mental health supports. You can read about them here. If you feel comfortable and that it is appropriate, you may wish to share this information with your guest. Please be mindful that it has to be your guest’s choice to engage with the support or not.
Additionally, your guest’s GP is always a good resource for signposting additional support.
If your guest is in need of urgent medical attention, they should seek appropriate and professional support. They can be referred by their GP or present to the emergency Department of any HSE hospital.
9. My guest is generating very high electricity bills. How should I speak to them about this?
We always encourage open and honest conversations between hosts and guests. We understand that utility bills are very high in Ireland at the moment and this may mean adjusting one’s usage and/or contributing more towards these costs.
We recommend that you have an honest conversation with your guest to discuss the high electricity costs and their impact. It may be useful to have previous electricity bills on hand to show your guest. The Irish Red Cross is developing a useful guide on managing utility costs that will be available in both English and Ukrainian and can be shared with your guest. We hope to add this resource to our website in the coming week.
10. When will the host focused webinars be held?
Host focused webinars will be held on the last Tuesday of every month from 8pm to 8.45pm.
11. My guest seems reluctant to integrate in Ireland. How can I help?
A guest’s reluctance to integrate is very normal. It can take time to adjust to a new situation and surroundings. Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection are pulled between their present reality in Ireland and their old lives and families back in Ukraine. Patience is key but it is always good to know what supports and activities are available in the local area.
Connect with your caseworker to see if there are any Ukrainian groups or other local integration opportunities. You can also contact the Local Authority Integration team to find out more about events in the local area. You can contact your local team here.
12. Can I avail of Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) for more than one property?
As we understand, yes. The administration of the ARP by Department of Social Protection is payable per Eircode. Therefore, if you have pledged more than one property, you are eligible for more than one payment. This is also applicable to cases where you have pledged both a spare bedroom in your home and a vacant property.
It is important to note that the rate of ARP does not vary based on the number of BOTPs you are accommodating, it is simply paid per Eircode. Therefore, if you have pledged two spare bedrooms in your home, you will only be eligible for one ARP payment.
The most up-to-date information on the ARP can be found here and specific queries can be directed to Department of Social Protection by email to arp@welfare.ie or by phone, 0818 70 80 90.
13. When will the rate of ARP be reduced?
Minister Foley has indicated that when the transfer of functions is complete, Minister O’Callaghan will put a separate motion to reduce the payment to €600 per month from June 2025 to the Oireachtas. This motion will need to be passed by both the Dáil and the Seanad. If this proceeds as planned, the first payment affected would be in July 2025, made retrospectively for accommodating a BOTP for the month of June 2025.
14. Could further changes be made to the ARP?
Changes to the payment amount and duration of the scheme can be made by way of Ministerial order, that would need to be passed by both houses of the Oireachtas (the Dáil and the Seanad). Any more substantial changes to the scheme would require a change in the legislation (Civil Law Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022).
15. What do I do if continuing to host for €600 per month is not financially feasible?
We are sorry to hear that hosting may no longer be financially feasible for you. We have put together some options you may wish to consider on our website. We also discussed these options in our recent host webinar focused on understanding the proposed changes to the ARP.
16. I have an extra spare bedroom in my house – are there opportunities to host an additional guest?
We are delighted to hear that you are considering hosting another BOTP. Please speak to your current caseworker, who can facilitate this generous offer. If you do not have a caseworker or are new to working with the Irish Red Cross, please contact migrationcrisis@redcross.ie. We will try to fulfil this request as quickly as possible, but please bear in mind that when making a placement for shared accommodation, our casework team will always strive for the best possible match for your household which will take time.
Please note that ARP is paid per property and not per BOTP being hosted, so the rate of payment would not increase should you proceed with hosting an additional guest in your home. However, you could explore renting another spare room privately and avail of the rent-a-room relief scheme. This allows you earn up to €14,000 per year (this amount includes bills/utility contributions) tax free by renting a spare room in your home. You can find information on renting out a room in your home here.
Irish Red Cross also work with programme refugees, who could be a suitable match under this scheme. If you wish to explore this option, you can email migrationcrisis@redcross.ie and a member of our casework team who works with programme refugee clients will get in touch with you to discuss further.
17. What are my options for transitioning into a rental agreement from pledging a spare room in my house?
The rent-a-room relief scheme may be of interest to you. This allows you earn up to €14,000 per year (this amount includes bills/utility contributions) tax free by renting a spare room in your home. You can find information on renting out a room in your home here. We always recommend looking to rent their properties obtain independent legal and financial advice. It is worth noting that transitioning into a private rental arrangement would fall outside the scope of Irish Red Cross support. Additionally, if you have a rental arrangement in place, you will no longer be eligible to avail of the ARP scheme.
18. Are BOTPs eligible for Housing Assistance Payment (HAP)?
BOTPs are not eligible for HAP. Eligibility for HAP is dependent on being on the social housing list. To qualify for social housing supports, you must have a legal right to remain in the State on a long-term basis. This means that people who are in Ireland under the Temporary Protection Directive cannot apply for social housing. BOTPs can, however, apply for rent supplement.
19. Can I ask my guest for a ‘top-up’ payment in addition to receiving the ARP?
We do not recommend that hosts accept or request any payments from guests beyond the ARP payment and contributions towards costs such as utilities as this could lead to tax and legal implications. Otherwise, any financial contributions of this nature could risk being interpreted as ‘rent’ by the Residential Tenancies Board legally warranting a landlord-tenant arrangement.
Furthermore, the legislation states that ARP is not payable if there is a rental agreement with the person being hosted and defines a rental agreement as ‘an agreement under which one party grants to the other party a right to occupy all or part of a dwelling, subject to the payment of money by that other party to the first-mentioned party’. However, government officials have confirmed that ARP will not be affected if guests ‘contribute towards costs such as utilities and food’.
Disclaimer Note: This webpage is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information contained herein, we advise all readers to consult official government sources and seek independent legal and financial advice for matters addressed above.