Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the processes put in place to assist Ukrainian refugees find accommodation, get a personal public services, PPS, number, access education and healthcare and avail of banking services.

They also gain permission to work in Ireland and to access translation services. The processes and hubs that have been put in place are precisely what are necessary for people who are fleeing a war situation to help them find security and safety while they deal with the trauma of their experiences and their flight to safety.

The point is that all refugees need this type of support. Discrimination on the basis of neighbourhood, which is the same language the Tánaiste used, is completely immoral. The Minister of State is saying people fleeing from Ukraine should be treated differently from people fleeing from Libya, Syria and Afghanistan on the basis of neighbourhood. That is horrendous. These people have all sorts of difficulties. There are delays in issuing temporary residence cards for international protection. Applicants are unable to get PPS numbers. They are unable to access schools and medical cards. This is without even speaking about direct provision. How is this moral? How can the Government stand over it? Surely this needs to be the end of the old system whereby we now treat all refugees in a decent and humane way.

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