This webpage has been prepared to provide information about recent changes to the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP). This resource is for information only and does not constitute professional advice. Hosts and guests should always seek their own independent and professional advice prior to entering into any arrangements.
For the purposes of this document:
• A Host is a person who accommodates a Beneficiary of Temporary Protection or a refugee, either in their own home or in a vacant property, under the Irish Red Cross hosting programme.
• A Guest is the Beneficiary of Temporary Protection or refugee who resides in the host’s home or in the host’s vacant property under the Irish Red Cross hosting programme.
What is the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD)?
The Temporary Protection Directive is an EU law that was introduced in 2001, creating a special procedure to deal with a mass influx of people in need of international protection. It was adopted into Irish law under Section 60 of the International Protection Act 2015. The Directive was activated for the first time in March 2022 in response to the Ukraine crisis. Those who were legally living in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 and who cannot safely return to their own country can benefit from temporary protection. The Council of Europe has voiced its unanimous support for a proposal to extend the temporary protection until 4 March 2027.
What is the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP)?
The Accommodation Recognition Payment was introduced in July 2022 to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs).
It is a government legislated scheme, under Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022, that is administered by the Department of Social Protection, entirely independent of the Irish Red Cross. It is a tax-free monthly payment issued to hosts, paid retrospectively.
The ARP scheme has been extended by 12 months until March 2026. This motion for extension was passed by both houses of the Oireachtas on 26th/27th March 2025. A further motion to reduce the payment to €600 per month was approved on 21 May 2025. The first reduced payment (for June) was issued in July 2025
Navigating changes to ARP
If you are unsure that the reduction is financially feasible for you, we recommend taking your time to decide what the best option is for you moving forward. However, we advise informing your guest of your decision as soon as you have made it. We encourage open and honest communication between hosts and guests.
It is important to note that you do not have to make any changes if you are comfortable continuing your placement under the revised ARP payment.
Guidance for those hosting Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection matched by Consortium Partners (Irish Red Cross, IOM and previously Helping Irish Hosts and Peter McVerry Trust) or Offer a Home:
Your home is still your own, and it is your choice whether to continue hosting or not. If your placement is supported by a License Agreement (LA), and you choose not to continue with the prospective changes to the ARP scheme, the LA asks for 2 weeks’ notice for any exits.
Guidance for those hosting Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection in private arrangements, independent of Consortium or Offer a Home support:
If you do not have a License Agreement (LA) in place, the notice period you need to give will depend on whatever agreement you do have in place. In any event, even if it is not strictly required, we would recommend giving as much notice as possible to allow people to plan for their exit.
Options you may consider for navigating your placement after changes to the ARP
Below are suggested options for how you may proceed with your placement if the reduced rate is not feasible for you:
1. Continue the placement at the reduced rate.
If the reduced rate is not feasible, consider the following:
2. Continue the placement at the reduced rate but introduce utility contributions if they’re not already in place.
For shared pledges: If guests have not been contributing to utility costs, discussions can be held about initiating reasonable contributions. The Irish Red Cross ran a webinar to provide guidance for hosts on utility contributions. You can access it here.
For vacant pledges: Transfer utility costs to guests if this hasn't been done already.
3. Transition to a private rental agreement, moving away from the ARP.
For shared placements:
The Rent-a-Room scheme may be suitable
For vacant placements:
Transition to a private rental agreement, which would involve taking on landlord responsibilities.
• A transition to the Rent-a-Room scheme/a private rental agreement is an independent decision and falls outside the scope of Irish Red Cross support.
• Independent legal and financial advice should be obtained before entering into any such arrangement.
• The ARP and Rent-a-Room/private rent cannot be run in tandem.
4. End the placement, following the notice period outlined in the Licence Agreement (LA), if applicable.
*When making any decision on how to proceed, it is important to seek independent, legal and financial advice*
Our guidance on Contributions
• Under the current ARP scheme, we understand that hosts are allowed to receive a reasonable contribution of utility costs (Shared Accommodation) or a transferal of all utility costs (Vacant) from their guests.
• We do not recommend that pledgers accept or request any payments from guests beyond the ARP payment, except for a reasonable contribution towards utilities. Accepting additional payments could lead to tax and legal implications. More information on the risks associated with additional payments is available here. Hosts should always seek independent legal and financial advice.
• The legislation (Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022) defines a rental agreement as ‘an arrangement 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’. Where rental agreements are in place, hosts are not eligible for the ARP scheme.
Pledgers should direct any queries about the operation of the ARP scheme to the Department of Social Protection at arp@welfare.ie or 0818 70 80 90
Guidance for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in Pledged Accommodation
• We encourage maintaining open communication with your hosts.
• If you are not already contributing to bills, your host may reasonably request a fair contribution, especially given the proposed reduction in the ARP payment.
• If you entered pledged accommodation from the Ukraine Crisis Temporary Accommodation Team (UCTAT) and arrived in the State before 14th March 2024, you will be entitled to return to UCTAT accommodation should your placement be terminated.
Where possible, we strongly encourage securing long-term, stable accommodation through a private tenancy agreement. While the pledge programme offers a temporary solution, it’s important to consider your next steps beyond ARP and hosted accommodation. For information on the Irish private rental market, visit Citizen’s Information, the Residential Tenancies Board, and Threshold.
What will happen after March 2026?
• Temporary Protection Directive (TPD)
The Council of Europe has voiced its unanimous support for a proposal to extend the temporary protection until 4 March 2027. Discussions are ongoing at an EU level regarding a coordinated transition out of temporary protection.
We will provide updates as more information becomes available.
• Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP)
The ARP has been extended by order of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth until March 2026. There is currently no further information on its future beyond this date.