'Kildare should no longer be involved in providing accommodation for certain groups of refugees'

A scheme set up to provide accommodation has been criticised for certain groups of refugees has been criticised  - a time when there are 10,600 people on the housing waiting list in Kildare.

Independent Ireland councillor Bill Clear is against additional Government money for “a taxpayer-funded homes (for) international refugees.”

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At a Kildare County Council meeting, he called on KCC to “cease any further participation in the Refugee Resettlement Housing Scheme once all currently approved allocations are fulfilled.”

He referred to “severe and unsustainable pressure on housing and emergency accommodation services across the county.”

“This scheme involves relocating families from the Middle East and Africa and housing them directly through local authorities. Properties are allocated outside the standard housing waiting list system. This is deeply unfair to the thousands of people who have been waiting for years for a home. It also bypasses refugees already in Ireland, people in emergency accommodation, and families living and working here on permits who are also in desperate need of housing.”

Speaking at a recent meeting of Kildare County Council, Cllr Clear urged fellow councillors to support the winding down of the scheme, stating: “Kildare has always been a compassionate and welcoming county, but compassion must be matched with capacity. My position is not about rejecting anyone, but about acknowledging that the system is now beyond capacity.”

In 2025, KCC delivered 440 social housing units. While acknowledging this as a significant effort, Cllr Clear said delivery is being completely outpaced by demand from multiple housing streams. He added that spending in excess of €5 million of taxpayers’ money under this scheme to fund additional homes in Kildare is not sustainable in the context of the current housing crisis.

However not everybody agreed with his sentiments and Cllr Pádraig McEvoy said community groups had been set up in places like Naas, Athy and Clane to support the families of refugees some of whom were illiterate in their own countries.

“We’re seeing lots of scapegoating," said Cllr McEvoy.

Cllr Chris Pender cautioned against diverting anger over public housing supply "to people not responsible.”

Cllr Pender said refugees and migrants are not the problem and Cllr Aoife Breslin said that refugees had not created the housing problem.

Cllr Suzanne Doyle warned against commentary that “feeds into a populist narrative.”

Cllr Doyle said refugees are constantly uprooted and moved, some arriving without family and do not have access to services.

KCC official David Creighton said the 30 temporary protection applicants living within Kildare is quite low when compared with other counties, adding “we’re certainly not overrun with people looking for protection."

He said Kildare County Council was allocated 66 refugees to be resettled between 2024 and 2026 and as of January 15, 2026, KCC has resettled 50 of the 66 refugees “in its allocated quota.”

This was done through a combination of approved housing body and KCC housing units. He said the remaining families in the programme are scheduled to be resettled by the end of March “with integration supports due to finish in April.”