Cabinet agrees to cut supports for new arrivals from Ukraine

The Government does not have a target in mind to reduce the number of Ukrainians arriving weekly after it slashes supports for those fleeing the war, according to the Taoiseach.

There are approximately 500 new arrivals from Ukraine every week, but the Government said it is difficult to predict if this number will rise or fall.

It comes as Cabinet signed off on changes for the supports for people fleeing the war in Ukraine, to whom Ireland has obligations under the EU temporary protection directive.

The Government said its current offering is unsustainable and changes were needed to meet obligations to future arrivals.

It will soon limit the amount of time that State-provided accommodation will be provided to Ukrainians to 90 days, while also drastically cutting the financial support they are given during that period.

It said the changes bring Ireland’s package of supports in line with other western European countries.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government does not expect the number of Ukrainians to reduce by a particular amount over the coming weeks due to a pared back offering.

“We don’t have a particular figure for our target as such,” he said on Tuesday evening.

“It’s our expectation that because we’ve brought what we offer more into line with what’s the case in other Western European countries that the numbers coming in will fall, but it’s not just about that.

“Let’s not forget why people are here. They’re fleeing a really brutal war in Ukraine.

“When we survey them and ask them why they come to Ireland, they list two main reasons: English speaking and very far away from Russia. Neither of those things are going to change.

“What I hope will change is the course of the war in Ukraine so that Ukraine can be successful in the war, and the war will come to an end and then we can start to talk to people here from Ukraine about the possibility of going home but we’re not at that point at this stage.”

The changes remove access to most social welfare benefits to beneficiaries of temporary protection (BOTPs) while they are living in State-provided accommodation.

It will instead establish a weekly payment to BOTPs while they are living in State-provided accommodation in lieu of social welfare payments.

In effect, arrivals from Ukraine will receive a weekly expenses allowance of 38.80 euro – down from the current jobseekers’ allowance rate of 232 euro per week.

They will also be required to engage with the State’s employment service.

The changes will only apply to Ukrainians arriving in the State after the legislation to cut the financial supports is enacted as expected at the end of the month or early February.

There is no change for the Ukrainians who have already arrived in the State.

There have been more than 101,200 arrivals from Ukraine in Ireland, with 74,500 people currently living in State-provided accommodation.

More than 16,000 are currently in employment.