Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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A whole of government approach is being adopted to support the Ukrainian refugees arriving in Ireland.

My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP), which is administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department, currently supports over 420 community organisations nationwide, to provide an extensive range of local services and facilities within local communities, through a social enterprise model.

At a webinar held for key stakeholders on 16th March, my Department advised that its existing programmes could be utilised to support the needs of Ukrainian refugees arriving into our communities. My Department and Pobal are monitoring the situation closely, particularly as it affects the CSP Programme. Organisations funded under the CSP can include Ukrainians who have fled the war among the target groups for their services. Arriving Ukrainians are provided with an immediate right to work, and so are entitled to obtain a PPS number and to take up vacancies in CSP funded organisations.

In this regard, my Department has in recent days received a request for additional staffing in one of our CSP supported organisations in County Clare, which is currently being used as the central community hub to co-ordinate the local response. I am pleased to advise that an additional Full Time Equivalent position in the organisation was approved by my Department on 29 March with a start date of 1st April, to support the response effort.

Any further requests for such support under the CSP Programme will be dealt with by my Department on a case by case basis.