Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I highlighted this matter more than a year and a half ago in the first instance because of the problems it would inevitably cause. Unfortunately, many of those problems have now been realised. As the Minister of State will be aware, those poor people who are fleeing war and persecution from countries such as Syria, Somalia, Nigeria and elsewhere are being afforded accommodation, food and €38 per week, whereas those fleeing war in Ukraine under the temporary protection directive, although it is not prescribed in the detail of that directive, are in receipt of maximum social welfare rates of €232 per week. Sadly, and it gives me no pleasure to again say it, it was inevitable that this would amount to the de facto marketing of Ireland to people who wish to travel from Ukraine, whether they are directly affected by war or not. There is now quite a bit evidence to show that a significant proportion may be in receipt of income from their own businesses or other employment in Ukraine where they are in a position to work remotely from here. This is discriminatory. It is a two-tier system. It has added pressures to a situation over the past year and a half where we are struggling to provide accommodation for those very genuine cases seeking international protection from persecution elsewhere.

I have called many times for the amount to be equalised so that the same supports are provided for everybody. There was a suggestion by some Government representatives and others that in some way the temporary protection directive dictated and prescribed that we must pay these higher rates. This, of course, is false and is not the case. Sadly, situations such as this and what I describe, frankly, as our reactionary and non-strategic approach to the immigration crisis throughout the world, have added to building resentment, which is in nobody's interest in Ireland. Obviously, having migrated the world ourselves, we are very conscious of the need to go elsewhere at times to seek out new opportunities and to seek to provide for our families. Unfortunately, however, the situation here has gone well beyond that.

I will give a couple of basic examples. If somebody comes here fleeing war in Syria, that person barely has the shirt on his or her back, and we say, "Here is €38 per week". If somebody comes here from Ukraine, even if he or she is from Lviv, 1,200 km from where the war is, once things are settled here, that person flies home to collect his or her vehicle and then comes back. As I said, there is evidence to suggest that a significant proportion of these applications are opportunistic. We are prepared to pay, therefore, they are prepared to come. No activation measures are in place in respect of people who are on jobseeker's allowance. No signing-on arrangements are in place as there would be for people on jobseeker's allowance. This is building huge resentment. Not too many international protection applicants are flying back to Damascus, Mogadishu or elsewhere to bring in their cars or other possessions.

I know this is unpalatable. It gives me no pleasure to say it, but until we deal decisively with this matter, it will continue to contribute to the building resentment that none of us wants to see. As a first step, €38 should be paid across the board. That is what must happen when legislation is brought forward to stop any newcomers from receiving any more than €38. Some 100,000 Ukrainians are here, and we are delighted to have the 17,000 who are out there working and those who genuinely need our help but, unfortunately, there are a proportion of opportunists we must deal with.

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