The Housing Minister says properties like old convents, commercial buildings and vacant hotels could be used to house people fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Minister Darragh O'Brien has confirmed that a potential cap on the number of refugees arriving here is 'off the table', while payments for those who host them is under consideration.
A memo will also be brought to Cabinet tomorrow to change the Fair Deal scheme so that the empty houses of those living in nursing homes won't be subject to tax if they're rented out.
Minister O'Brien says an assessment of larger vacant properties which could be refurbished will also be completed by the end of this week.
"Already through the local authorities over two weeks ago, I'd sought that they do a trawl of the whole country in relation to larger properties - old convents, hotels, commercial buildings - that can be converted, not just for the short term, some for the short term, but others potentially for the long term, some that were already on our radar.
"So that list is being worked through - over 500 significant properties across the country have been assessed."
