Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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772. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her Department will produce a roadmap for supporting all persons arriving in Ireland from Ukraine in conjunction with other Government Departments and State agencies. [14714/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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There is a coordinated whole-of-Government response to support people arriving in Ireland who have fled the violence in Ukraine. Government Departments and services are working together to implement Ireland's commitments under the EU Temporary Protection Directive (2001/55/EC), which has been activated for the first time to grant temporary protection to displaced persons from Ukraine.

The Directive has legal effect under Section 60 of the International Protection Act 2015.

Those eligible for Temporary Protection (granted initially for one year, but renewable) will have immediate access to the labour market, social welfare, accommodation and other State supports as necessary.

To date, approximately 90 per cent of Ukrainians who have entered the State have been welcomed at Dublin Airport. Beneficiaries are being provided with their temporary protection permission letter on arrival in the Airport in the 'one-stop-shop' established for that purpose, to ensure early access to all necessary supports.

Arrangements have also now been put in place to provide permission letters to those who arrived at Dublin Airport prior to 9 March (when permission letters started to issue) and to those who have arrived at other ports of entry to the State.

The ‘Ukraine Support Centres’ opened in Dublin and Cork, and soon to open in Limerick, are assisting those newly arrived to obtain their PPS Numbers and to access social welfare income supports, and receive referrals to other State services.

A centralised Government information portal is available on www.gov.ie/ukraine, and is regularly updated.

My Department’s Irish Immigration website also contains a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page at: www.irishimmigration.ie/faqs-for-ukraine-nationals-and-residents-of-ukraine/.

I can assure the Deputy that my Government colleagues and I will continue to work with our EU counterparts on any further EU-wide measures that might be needed to assist those fleeing Ukraine. However, the immediate and overriding priority is to assist those who have arrived and continue to arrive in Ireland to find safety with access to state supports as needed, as part of a whole of Government response.

Notwithstanding this, given the very extreme pressures being faced by Moldova in the current circumstances, the Government has agreed, as part of an EU response, to offer to accept from Moldova up to 500 people who have fled the war in Ukraine.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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773. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if it is proposed to extend measures designed to support refugees from Ukraine to persons fleeing from other conflict zones; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14715/22]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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777. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the legal entitlements of refugees from Ukraine under the Temporary Protection Directive; if a comparison of these entitlements with previous European Union refugee programmes will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14913/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 773 and 777 together.

The EU Temporary Protection Directive (2001/55/EC) establishes the minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons from third countries who are unable to return to their country of origin. It can only activated in specific circumstances by an EU Council Decision.

Section 60 of the International Protection Act 2015 gives effect to the Directive in national law.

On 4 March, the Council of EU agreed to activate the Temporary Protection Directive following a proposal from the European Commission. This proposal was informed by its assessment of the situation in Ukraine and the scale of the movements of displaced persons, and the advisability of establishing temporary protection, based on information from Member States, UNHCR and other relevant international organisations. It is the first time that the Directive has been activated since it was introduced.

The Council Decision places specific obligations on Ireland and on all EU Member States, including the duration of the temporary protection to be awarded and the State supports and services that the beneficiary should be entitled to. This includes the right to seek employment or self-employment, access to suitable accommodation, access to primary and post primary education, access to medical care, and any necessary assistance in terms of social welfare if the person does not have sufficient resources.

As this is the first occasion on which a Council Decision under Article 5 of Directive 2001/55/EC has been made, no similar EU refugee programmes exist. Therefore, it is not possible to establish comparisons.