Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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1129. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the materials that have been translated into Ukrainian with information as to accessing State services and supports; if such materials are physically available to State services to post as notices or provide to persons as leaflets and booklets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30084/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department places a high priority on ensuring that those arriving in Ireland due to the war in Ukraine are aware of the Government services and supports available to them and that they are given clear information on how to access these public services.

When people arrive from Ukraine, my Department immediately engages with them to provide an income support, if necessary and also to allocate a PPSN, which will give access to a range of public services.  The majority of those who arrive have no accommodation arrangements in place and therefore they initially rely on accessing information via the Department's website and through engagement with DSP and officials from other Departments upon their arrival.

To this end, my Department has published a dedicated page available at gov.ie/dsp/ukraine, which includes information on the social welfare supports available and how to access them.  It also provides information on how to apply for a PPSN which will provide access to public services while in Ireland, information on how to apply for income supports and information on the locations of DSP offices throughout the country, including the dedicated Ukraine Support Centres.  This page is translated into both Ukrainian and Russian and is updated regularly. 

This dedicated social welfare supports page is part of the main information hub, published as part of Ireland's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  This hub is available at gov.ie/Ukraine.  The dedicated Ukraine hub also ensures that information on all aspects of the government services and supports available are easily accessed in one central location and this information is translated into the Ukrainian and Russian languages.

Officials from my Department also engage on a face to face basis with such persons when they arrive in Ireland at dedicated reception centres such as City West.  When those arriving are applying for a PPSN or for an income support, a version of the form is available in Ukrainian and Russian to help them to apply.  Where required, interpreters are also made available to help them to complete the form.  Copies of the relevant application forms are also available in Intreo centres in Ukrainian and Russian, should they arrive into the country and go directly to the Intreo centre without visiting a reception centre beforehand.

As those arriving may move location or address after they arrive, at present the most efficient way to provide them with the information they need is via our website.  This allows us to quickly update content to ensure that the information is as relevant and accurate as possible as the situation evolves.  Systems are also in place to ensure that payment of the relevant income support can be made at the nearest post office to where they now reside. 

My priority at present is to ensure that people arriving from Ukraine can get the information they need about how to access state services and supports in one location and to provide this information in the Ukrainian and Russian languages.  In March and April, the dedicated web pages for people arriving from the Ukraine were the 6th and 8th most visited pages respectively on the DSP website.