Simon Harris
Cabinet ministers Higher Education Minister Simon Harris has signed up to accommodate refugees in his family home
Ukraine refugees may be housed in the homes of senior Government ministers without being first vetted by security services, it has emerged.

The Government policy is currently to only vet the people who are offering accommodation but not to check the backgrounds of people fleeing war-torn Ukraine.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee will not say if Ukrainian refugees staying in the homes of her Cabinet colleagues will be vetted before they are given accommodation in houses owned by senior Government ministers.

Minister McEntee's spokesperson said he could not say if the backgrounds of refugees being given accommodation by ministers, including Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, will be checked before they are housed.


Comment: This is wholly irresponsible. They could be housing just about anybody. This poses a threat to the country and its security, not just the ministers personal safety.

If they're not checking refugees for ministers, they certainly won't be doing it for the general public, which, as we've seen with the refugee crisis more generally over the last decade, by even just allowing a few rogue characters into the country, can have disastrous consequences.


"We do not comment on security matters," the justice minister's adviser said.

Mr Varadkar's spokesperson also did not know if refugees will be vetted before being given access to the home of the deputy leader of the country.

And there was confusion across Government over whether refugees will be vetted before staying in the homes of Cabinet ministers

Senior Government figures from all coalition parties were unaware what the Department of Justice policy is on checking refugees who are staying in the homes of politicians who have access to highly confidential information.

The Tánaiste and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris have signed up to accommodate refugees in their family homes.

Mr Harris said the people of Ireland have been "incredibly generous" in response to the humanitarian crisis sparked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.


Comment: Virtue signalling and downright ignorance are not forms of generosity, quite the opposite actually.


"I think they want their Government to be generous too," the minister added.

Speaking at the launch of a new academic hub on the Grangegorman Campus of Technological University Dublin, he said people will show generosity to those arriving from Ukraine in different ways including providing accommodation or donations of goods and money.

"I've always thought this is a private matter and I think it should be kept a private matter but for the record a number of days ago, we registered as a family to provide a room in our home, if that's required, like tens of thousands of families across the country have but I don't intend to comment on it any further," Mr Harris said.


Comment: Decades of politicians not being held to account have led them to believe that, despite their position of responsibility, they can do as they please.


At the same event, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe refused to say whether he would be registering to house a Ukrainian refugee.

"Myself and my family will play our role in making a contribution to the challenges, the huge challenges, that the people of Ukraine are facing. The exact nature of that contribution I do believe is a private matter and I'm going to leave it at that," Mr Donohoe said.

Two weeks ago, Ms McEntee said she will discuss hosting refugees with her husband but last night she would not say if they had registered to accommodate people forced out of Ukraine following the Russian invasion.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin is still considering whether his family can provide a home to refugees.

He has two holiday homes but one is believed to be not suitable for accommodation and the other is in a remote location in Cork.

He also has an apartment in Dublin and a home in Cork.

Mr Martin also has access to Steward's Lodge in Farmleigh House which is the official State residence for the Taoiseach.