Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

83. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps she is taking to ensure the welfare of Ukrainian refugees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24215/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In March, the Council of the European Union unanimously adopted the implementing decision regarding the Temporary Protection Directive. This means that people arriving from Ukraine have been granted the status to avail of the supports and services, including income supports and employment services, provided by my Department.

In order to ensure people fleeing the war are supported as quickly as possible, my officials are located at the Ukraine Reception Facility at Dublin airport helping people to apply for PPSNs and assisting with income support applications. Officials from the Department of Justice and Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Education and Youth are also at the reception centre to issue confirmation of Temporary Protection and assist with accommodation needs.

The priority for my Department is to make payments as quickly as possible and thereafter to put arrangements in place to pay the most appropriate social welfare payment such as Jobseekers, One Parent Family Payment or State pension non-contributory to incoming Ukrainians. People may also apply for additional supports including Exceptional Needs Payments and Rent Supplement if appropriate.

Thanks to the fast tracking of PPSNs and simplified decision making for processing income support applications, almost 30,860 PPSNs have been allocated and 14,910 income support claims have been awarded, supporting over 26,000 people. Furthermore, 6,529 Child Benefit claims have been processed in respect of almost 9,700 children.

My Department has also been organising employment support events specifically for people covered by the Directive to provide Ukrainians with information on employment opportunities and supports and to assist them with applying for appropriate income support payments. To date almost 5,400 people have attended these events.

Information on my Department's supports is published on the Government website in both Ukrainian and Russian and interpretive services are available in all Reception Centres and offices. My Department remains fully committed to providing all necessary supports.