Taoiseach Micheál Martin has asked Government Ministers to examine how people could be paid to host Ukrainian refugees.
Mr Martin said he has said he has spoken to Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys on the matter.
He said he believes it is not a money issue for people who are offering their homes up.
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Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he said: “No it’s not a money issue for people right now but it is being considered by the key departments.
“I spoke to the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Social Protection to look at various options there.
“There are issues that will have to be sorted out but in the first instance that needs to happen, is those who have pledged, we need to get through that process perhaps more quickly.”
Speaking earlier on Thursday, Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said financial support to people in Ireland who host refugees may encourage more to reconsider housing Ukrainians fleeing the war.
Minister McEntee said financial support might be an option “if we get to a situation where we want to encourage more people to offer up accommodation.”
She said she would support the move to pay people.
She said: “We’re very aware that there’s an increase in costs in electricity and fuel, even in food prices.
“So I think what we’d have to establish is how we would cover those costs.
“I don’t think anybody’s looking to make money out of this. Certainly not. It’s that we would cover those day-to-day costs.
“That’s something Government has said we’d be open to and it’s something that’s been explored at the moment.”
When asked if financial support could encourage people who have withdrawn accommodation offers to reconsider, she said: “It might do indeed.”
She said: “Perhaps it’s something that might encourage more people, yes.”
Cabinet heard on Wednesday night that there will be a shortage of accommodation by the end of April based on the assumption of 400 arrivals every day with a minimum of 75% and a maximum of 100% seeking accommodation here until the end of June.
On that basis, Mr Martin told Cabinet there will have been between 29,000 and 33,000 people seeking accommodation.
Mr Martin also said discussion is taking place on “what we can construct” to help house refugees.
He said there is an examination of vacant buildings to see if they can be reconfigured to help house refugees.
