A Ukrainian woman in her 50s who was evicted from State-provided accommodation for failing to pay a daily contribution fee has been arrested and remanded in custody for allegedly trespassing her former accommodation.
Tetiana Kiselova was evicted from her accommodation in Dublin city on November 15th after failing to pay the €10 fee before then seeking shelter at a site she had lived in prior, in Blackrock, Co Dublin.
At Dún Laoghaire District Court last week, Ms Kiselova was charged with trespassing the building in such a manner that caused or was likely to cause fear in another person. She was remanded in custody until November 25th.
Since March, social welfare payments for Ukrainians living in State-provided accommodation were cut from €232 per week to €38.80, with the Blackrock Community Alliance believing the cut has resulted in Ukrainians failing to pay the fee.
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Ms Kiselova received a letter from the Department of Integration on November 12th advising that access to her room would be revoked and her room reallocated as she refused to pay the fee.
She was told she would not receive any further offers of accommodation and would have to make her own arrangements.
A spokesman for the Department of Integration said those residing in serviced accommodation are informed that failure to pay is considered a refusal of emergency accommodation.
“In relation to the case referred to, following non-payment, the individual was supported to engage with their local Intreo office for financial support if required and provided an additional three weeks in which to make payment,” a spokesman said.
“Despite this, the individual refused to pay the contribution.”
The mandatory daily contribution fee of €10 was introduced in 2022 for those fleeing the war in Ukraine and applies to serviced accommodation such as hotels and B&Bs where self-catering options are not available.
The spokesman said the department does not collate data on the number of accommodation refusals linked to non-payment of the charge.
As the accommodation site in Blackrock where Ms Kiselova was found trespassing is no longer under contract with the Department of Integration, it said it could not comment on events following her eviction.
The building was under contract until it was ended in October as part of the consolidation of the accommodation portfolio for those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Last month, buses arrived to the property in Blackrock to take 29 Ukrainians to alternative accommodation.
The majority of the group, who had been living in the building since arriving to Ireland in 2022, refused to board the buses despite being told they would not receive subsequent offers of accommodation.
The 20 Ukrainians who refused to board the buses, including six children attending local schools, have been hosted at the property by the owners while they try to seek a solution, according to Blackrock Community Alliance.
However, applications for the accommodation recognition payment were refused this week, while rent supplement applications have also been rejected by the Department of Social Protection.
A letter issued to local representatives and general election candidates by Blackrock Community Alliance said: “The owners offered in September to host the group for two months until November 28th, allowing three months to get clarity from the departments on how the group of 20 can be accommodated. This arrangement expires next week. The group is seeking support from local representatives to find solutions to the crisis.”
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