Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We estimate that approximately 11,000 Ukrainians are now working in the country. That is a significant addition to the workforce. English language supports are available to them through education and training boards, ETBs. I cannot give more detail on the employment activation provisions, which is more a matter for the Department of Social Protection or the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. I know there are provisions but I cannot provide great detail on them.

As the Deputy knows, international protection applicants may now work six months after arrival in the country instead of nine months. We reduced the restrictions on the type of work that may be taken up. That is not being re-examined at the moment.

The Deputy's third question was on the White Paper. The White Paper had three key elements -accommodation, integration and supports. Obviously, the war and the increased numbers arriving are impacting the accommodation element. We hope to bring forward some of those other elements. Having integration officers was a medium-term part of the White Paper originally. We are now hoping to see them rolled out this year and we have the funding for them. We are looking at things like translation services and better English language supports to support international protection applicants. We are looking to make it easier and put in more supports so that international protection applicants, while they are here, have a better chance of integrating.

I recognise there is a difference with access to employment. The EU temporary protection directive stipulates that immediate international protection is within six months. However, to give people some chance to settle in the country, six months is a significant improvement on the approach in the past. In that six-month period, we are putting in place better integration measures and better supports to empower international protection applicants, once that six-month period has passed, to join the labour market if they so choose.