Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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501. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if assistance is available to an employer to take on Ukrainian refugees and to assist in the necessary training. [49749/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), my Department is providing income support and employment services to assist those people arriving in Ireland who have fled the war in Ukraine. As of 5 October, a total of 56,445 Public Personal Service Numbers or PPSNs have been allocated. Of these 36,104 were in respect of people aged between 18 – 65.

Officers from the Employer Relations team in my Department are working closely with employers across all sectors of the economy who wish to support Ukrainians through provision of employment opportunities. Employers are requested to register on www.jobsireland.ie to advertise vacancies. We advise all Ukrainians seeking employment that they can access the JobsIreland service directly and may upload details of their skills and experience. This enables Intreo Employment Services Officers to match the skills of those seeking employment with available work opportunities. The resources and job opportunities available are also promoted through social media in Ukrainian and Russian.

Ukrainians entering Ireland under the Temporary Protection Directive, are entitled to the same employment supports as those available to EU citizens. These supports help jobseekers, including Ukrainians, to prepare for and secure employment. The key service provided is one-on-one engagements where a range of different options are explored which can include various levels of training to support people into employment opportunities.

Intreo Employment Services arranged employment support events specifically for Ukrainians. At these events, details of Ukrainians proficiency in English, their qualifications, employment history and employment preferences are determined to assist with job matching. As of September 30th, employment services staff have engaged with 19,082 persons fleeing the war in Ukraine at these events. My staff are also working closely with education and training boards to facilitate access to relevant training supports, including English language training.

Records from the Revenue Commissioners as of October 3rd show 9,520 individuals in paid employment with respect to a total 11,158 employments with 4,080 employers.

I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.