Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We treat people coming here from Ukraine differently from those seeking international protection. People coming here from Ukraine are coming from a country at war. It is a European country. They have the benefit of the temporary protection directive, which gives them particular rights under EU law that people claiming international protection do not have. That is the reason for the difference in treatment. We are constantly looking at what our offering is for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine versus what is offered in other EU countries. We have to be sensible about these things and we try to align what is done in Ireland with what is done in other European countries. For example, the Deputy will know that charges have been brought in recently for food and board, which were not there in the past for people who have come from Ukraine. That work is very much under way and ongoing.

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