The Taoiseach says the €4 billion Covid contingency fund may be raided to pay for the services required by Ukrainian refugees.
A total of €4 billion was set aside in the Budget with around a billion of that having already been spent.
Micheál Martin says around 5,500 Ukrainian refugees have now arrived into Ireland, and it will be a challenge to provide homes, education and healthcare for all those who come.
The Taoiseach says they're looking at unspent Covid funding to do that.
Education
"That's a contingency fund that had been provided in the Budget for Covid, which hasn't been spent. Some of it has, but not all of it has, and that may be available for us to work on the undoubted increase in expenditure that will occur in areas like education and health."
The Taoiseach says he will consider personally taking in Ukrainian refugees.
Mr Martin has interests in a number of properties including the family home, a holiday home and an apartment in Dublin.
He was asked after meeting Boris Johnson in London whether he would personally open his home.
"Well first of all we will all play our part in that, I think we will all play our part in that, these are personal decisions that every family has to take. We will respond in relation to that, as a family we will discuss that, we're obviously reflecting on this like everybody else."
Ukraine was at the forefront of St Patrick’s Day festivities in London, as the Taoiseach expressed solidarity with the country’s people who he said are victims of a “barbaric and immoral” war.
The tricolour was joined by the flag of Ukraine, carried by London-based Ukrainian Natalia Lesyuk, at the head of the parade on Sunday led by Mr Martin.
Hundreds of people applauded and cheered in Trafalgar Square as Mr Martin told Ms Lesyuk that it was an honour to have her at the event.
