The government is looking at a new aid package that would reduce welfare payments to Ukrainian refugees but bring in long-term measures to tackle housing and education for those who have fled the war in eastern Europe.
The cross-department strategy will ensure that Ireland is “aligned with EU partners” as the country’s capacity to accommodate refugees becomes more challenging.
Ukrainian refugees make up 1.9 per cent of the population. Up to 50,000 more people are expected in the next 12 months.
One proposal is to bring welfare rates more into line with other countries. Ireland’s payments to Ukrainian refugees are twice those of Germany, which is the next highest payer in the EU.
Ireland is “near capacity” when taking in refugees from Ukraine and other countries, a government source said yesterday. “We’re legally and morally obliged to offer shelter to these people. There is a moral imperative to do so,” he said.
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“But we are close to capacity and we have to look at where we go from here. Welfare supports are being looked at to see if they can be brought more into line with our EU partners. It’s not just welfare payments. Several departments — social protection, education, and integration and children — have to be involved for this to work.”
Ukrainian refugees in Ireland receive €220 a week and get child benefit of €140 a month. By contrast Spain offers €100 a week and €100 a month for children for six months. Germany offers up to €112.29 a week and monthly payments of up to €420 for children. In Italy, refugees get €75 a week for each family member with an extra €150 a month for each child.
Leo Varadkar, the taoiseach, said last week that “Ukrainians who have been living for months in other parts of western Europe are relocating to Ireland”.
The government will not rush to bring in reforms, according to various sources. A new package, to include housing and educational support as well as a lesser sum for social welfare, will have to be discussed by relevant departments.
This will go to cabinet sub-committees before formally being brought to cabinet. So far nothing is definite.
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About 98,000 refugees from Ukraine are in Ireland and this includes more than 73,000 people who live in state-provided accommodation at a cost of €1.5 billion a year. More than 20,000 Ukrainians work here and do not live in state accommodation.
“We’re seeing that secondary movement here because what we offer is slightly above the EU average,” a Department of Justice source told The Sunday Times. “We’re seeing around 30 per cent of people registered in other European countries moving here.”
Some Irish officials see the refugees’ financial package as a “pull-factor” that should be changed.
“We’re looking at the numbers coming from other European states as opposed to those coming directly from Ukraine,” said a minister who did not want to be named.
“The numbers continue to grow and capacity continues to narrow, so we have to keep ourselves on the same footing as the rest of Europe.
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“The reforms put in place will have to be a long-term response as opposed to even a medium-term response because the war shows no signs of stopping,” they added.
The EU directive for those seeking temporary protection has been extended to 2025. Ireland has limited control over the flow of Ukrainians seeking asylum with estimates of 700 to 800 arriving weekly. A government source said that mid- to long-term planning on housing for Ukrainian refugees would have to be examined by Roderic O’Gorman, the minister for children and integration rather than the Department of Housing.
“I don’t see that changing to the responsibility of the Department of Housing. The measures that need to be put in will be for those who are staying under a temporary protection directive. That is being looked after by Roderic’s department.”
The source said: “I can’t see officials in the Department of Housing accepting that as they would have enough on their hands already. I don’t think the department would cope with another major responsibility under their remit.”
Measures proposed by O’Gorman, of the Green Party, would see state-supported accommodation for new refugees cut after 90 days. They would then have to find accommodation in the private sector.
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Both Varadkar and Micheál Martin, the tanaiste, downplayed reports that the proposal caused a row as it would push the problem on to the Department of Housing and homelessness services.
Nearly 25,000 people from abroad are accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Services system.
