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

I thank the Deputy for this question. The operational challenges in responding to conflict are very significant and all Departments and agencies contribute to meeting the welfare needs and integration of Ukrainian displaced persons into communities. As a country, we have responded well in assisting those and we will continue to work across Government to do that. As the Deputy will know, the Department of the Taoiseach chairs a senior officials group, SOG, who meet weekly to consider all issues to do with the accommodation and the wider supports for Ukrainian displaced persons.

At the Citywest hub, the Departments of Justice and Social Protection both have officials in place and have that initial engagement in the provision of PPS numbers and a letter. The Department of Social Protection has a dedicated webpage for those arriving under the temporary protection directive. The information is comprehensive and addresses public services, income supports and getting a payment, and is available in both Russian and Ukrainian.

There are HSE personnel on site in Citywest and they assist with medical matters for both Ukrainians and international protection applicants on site. There is also a whole-of-government website dedicated to information for Ukrainians arriving here.

Local authorities are playing a major role, are standing up emergency rest centres around the country and have organised the Ukraine community fora around the country in bringing together statutory services on a countywide basis so that they can support Ukrainians living there. They have also been very involved in the pledged process in moving Ukrainians living in that particular area into pledged accommodation.

We also had engagement with the Department of Defence in securing sites for additional accommodation.

On international protection, we work closely with the Department of Justice. The International Protection Office makes a determination on international protection applicants and Tusla, which is an agency within my Department, will work closely with, in particular, unaccompanied minors, be they from Ukraine or from another country who are seeking the help of the international protection system.

See this speech in context