Plans to slash weekly social welfare payments for Ukrainian refugees living in Ireland are set to be considered at a Cabinet committee today.
The plans could see the weekly welfare amount for new arrivals from Ukraine lowered to €38.80 per week, from the €220 per week which is currently given by the State.
The measures, being tabled by Minister for Integration, Roderic O’Gorman, would also see state-provided accommodation for Ukrainian refugees arriving in Ireland cut to 90 days.
It follows growing concern over Ireland’s status as an outlier when it comes to the amount of welfare being paid to those from Ukraine compared to a host of other European nations. A parliamentary question from Independent TD Marc MacSharry in October noted the gulf in the scale of welfare provided in Ireland.
Asking Taoiseach Leo Varadkae if he was aware if Ireland was a “complete outlier in the EU and neighbouring countries with the provision of €220 a week for those fleeing Ukraine,” Deputy MacSharry contrasted the rate with other EU nations – as he pointed out that those seeking international protection received a payment of €38.80 per week from the State.
Deputy MacSharry pointed to figures from the European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation, stating, that according to the figures, Ireland provides “more than twice that provided by the next highest country, Finland, at €107, and almost 28 times more than the €7.90 per week provided in Belgium.”
He continued: “Such an anomaly amounts to the effective marketing of Ireland as the preferred location for those fleeing Ukraine,” he said.
“Will the Government adjust our policy to provide an element of balance with other countries, given the inordinate pressures on accommodation in this country?” the Taoiseach was asked.
Responding, Varadkar said: “The benefit of the temporary protection directive gives [people] particular rights under EU law. We are constantly looking at what our offering is for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine versus what is offered in other EU countries.”
The Taoiseach added: “We have to be sensible about these things and we try to align what is done in Ireland with what is done in other European countries” in what was perceived as a hint that change could be on the horizon.
“The Government’s approach has been reckless in the extreme in the face of the worst accommodation crisis since the 1840s even before the outbreak of war,” Deputy MacSharry added.
Figures released by think tank OECD in the same month showed that Ireland had taken in a higher proportion of Ukrainian refugees than other European nations – including Britain, France, Italy and Germany. Out of 36 EU member states, Ireland ranked seventh in terms of refugee intake, the statistics revealed – showing that Ireland had 17 refugees per 1,000 inhabitants.
Ireland, on proportion, took in five times more Ukrainians than the UK, which had a rate of 36 refugees per 1,000 inhabitants.
A briefing paper from the Houses of the Oireachtas, published in October, detailed comparative social welfare rates across the EU, revealing that Ireland gave the highest weekly social welfare payments to Ukrainians across the EU.
Other EU States and the UK, meanwhile, paid between €7.90 and €131.45 per week, with most countries limiting payments where accommodation and supports were provided.
The briefing document showed that in relation to weekly payments to refugees from Ukraine, France offers €47.60 for those accommodated per week, and €99.40 per week for those not accommodated.
In Italy, €75 per week is payable for those in independent accommodation. Different but lower rates apply for those staying in State provided facilities, subsidised hotels and with families.
In Bulgaria, €180 one time financial assistance is available. Monthly social assistance may be made, subject to provision of voluntary work in some cases.
If the full Cabinet signs off on the plans, legislative changes would be made in the new year. During a conversation on RTÉ’s The Week in Politics on Sunday, Minister of State James Browne said it was “expected” that the issue will be finalised by ministers this week.
While the jobseeker’s allowance for Ukrainians who cannot obtain work could be slashed significantly, under the EU’s temporary protection directive, those from Ukraine would still be able to claim other welfare payments including child benefit.
The issue was raised more recently, during last week’s Private Members motion on Immigration by the Rural Independent grouping. The motion noted how the coast for Ukrainian accommodation alone climbed to €522 million in 2022.
Deputy Carol Nolan described the government’s immigration policy as “reckless,” telling the Dáil: “We can survive being a welcoming nation, but we cannot survive being taken for fools and having our generosity abused for another decade or more. As a public representative, I will certainly continue to ask the questions.
“I will not be silenced and no finger-wagging will deter me from challenging the Government on what is a reckless approach to immigration.”
Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, meanwhile, said it was his view that those fleeing war situations, including Ukrainians, should have to “undergo an assessment, just as all the Irish people here have to undergo” when they want to get social welfare.
The Kerry Independent told the debate that he had asked the Taoiseach “a number of days ago” to reduce the rates of social welfare and benefits for those coming to Ireland, but the Taoisearch said “we could not.”
Appealing for “a level playing field,” Deputy Healy-Rae told the house, “I also asked him whether we could have a uniform rate of social welfare across the European Union. He said we could not.
“I cannot see how that is right, because we have to have a level playing field all across Europe. Many more seem to be coming here than elsewhere although Ireland is the farthest from Ukraine, is an island and is harder to get to. Therefore, we need to level the pitch, and the Government needs to argue in Europe that the same rates of social welfare should apply across the board.”
“We must apply a cap, belatedly as it may be, because it is clear that if we are to take care of the people coming here, and certainly take care of our own people, we cannot take any more at present,” he added.
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Message to TD’s, Too little too late. Your goose is cooked folks.
It is neccessary to differentiate between refugees fleeing war and undocumented ,unvetted welfare grifters on a European tour of Welfare hotspots, with Ireland being the cherry on top.
Ukrainians are no different. The war is concentrated in the East of the ethnically Russian Oblast of Donetsk ,Luhansk ,Kherson and Zaporyshe, which is 20% of the original Ukraine land mass.
The popualtions there voted in Referendums and declared themselves Republics and applied for inclusion in the Russian Federation,all legal under UN Articles 1 &51.
These Ethnically Russian populations are in a real war zone and millions have fled for protection from Ukraine Military attacks into Russia.
Russia is conducting a defensive war to protect these Eastern Oblasts from Ukrainian attempts to reclaim them and Crimea.
Ukraine is a land mass larger than Texas. There is no Russian war on civilians on the remainig 80% Ukraine and why it is called a Special Military Operation.
Many Ukrainian ‘refugees’ are but opportunist grifters who have moved to the EU to escape one of the most dysfuncional and corrupt Regimes in the World,and also to escape the Military draft for a war imposed on them by their Neo Nazi Regime co-operation with US/NATO Imperial ambitions.
Ireland has no obligations to host any of these Fake ‘refugees’.
But wait.. why is there any need for welfare at all when we are told all immigrants are here to work as doctors etc… and integrate ?? … hmm I smell a rat!
Making room for the Palastinians, perhaps? let’s see!
Might have to get a job after their Christmas holidays in Ukraine. Couldn’t make it up.
They should all be deported, the only came here to escape drafting and to get into an eu country.
Morgoth Review recently came up with a concept that is thought provoking from an economic and social perspective.
He likened unregulated Mass Migration of people, to Quantitative Easing of Central Bank money-flooding , of a financial system.
Both have been misused and misdirected to produce a dysfunctional social system and a dysfuncional Financial system,
Mass Migration is directly related to GDP. The more consumers the higher the GDP.
No allowance is made for the parasites of non-contributing non workers in the system,
No allowance is made for the deleterous social effects of Housing shortages, Health system overload ,Education system overload ,Crime increases and social decay. quality of life deficit, and cultural destruction.
Quantitative easing was designed by Prof Richard Werner to revive an ailing Japanese economy in the late ’90’s. It consisted of the Central Bank creating credit to be injected into indigenous Industry,creating jobs and wealth from export earnings.
The US Federal Reserve corrupted QE by injecting created money into failing Banks and Financial system, to delay the collapse of a bankrupt system. This created worldwide inflation because of a devaluing $, linked to the $ Reserve currency used for world trade and the Petro$ used for oil trading.
Both Mass Migration and QE are a ticking time-bomb, destined to destroy the Financial and social stability of the West as they come together to ignite chaos and destruction.
It’s the number of immigrants that they are flooding the country with.
Promising them housing,money and a hearty welcome, what they get is a tent, a voucher and get lost.
It’s cruelty dressed up as compassion.
Get a handle on the numbers first.
” ah sure ..are we all far right now father”?
It’s worth asking how much leeway the government has to reduce benefits for Urainians arriving under the European Temporary Directive
Such refugees arriving in any country are entitled to “necessary assistance in terms of social welfare and means of subsistence, if they do not have sufficient resources,”
That’s obviously open to interpretation.
We interpreted it to mean give them the lot.
International Protection Act 2015
https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2015/act/66/section/60/enacted/en/html#sec60
Section 60 10(b)
…a displaced person to whom [the Temporary Directive] applies shall be entitled—
(b) to receive, upon and subject to the same conditions applicable to Irish citizens, the same medical care and the same social welfare benefits as those to which Irish citizens are entitled…
We can exect the NGOs to be arguing that we were obliged to give all of this to the Ukrainians
“necessary assistance in terms of social welfare” = “the same social welfare benefits as those to which Irish citizens are entitled”
We’ll certainly be hearing more about it. Might be worth a follow up article Maria.
One alternative is to not reduce their benefits at all – give them full €220 Jobseekers – but turf them out on the street. Where presumably they will find that the rental shortage leaves them sleeping rough. When that gets out it might put off some of the new arrivals
It sounds good until you realise that
One. Irish people will be having to compete for rental accommodation with these rough sleeping Ukrainians. Political disaster.
Two. Before any of that happens, when it comes to actually kicking them out of their temporary state accommodation good luck, they’re going to be fighting it like the third monkey on the ramp up to Noahs Ark. And brother it’s starting to rain.
Let them fight. Sure haven’t the Guards got battens, razer’s and water cannon. Or are they only for us dissenting “far right” Irish ?.
Just for the record. I have been raising this matter for over a year and a half. The research paper referred to above was commission by me with a list of direct questions in November 2022 to the Oireachtas. The research was complete annd provided to me in late January / early February 2022. I have been highlighting its contents since then on the Dail and else where but apart from local media and the Pat Kenny show on NT, it was ignored by most ‘mainstream’ media. Only in the last 2 months has it been possible to get traction from most media and else where. Thank you to the griot for amplifying this anomaly which has had a detrimental impact on our already most acute housing and accommodation crisis. As a nation, conscious of our own story having migrated all over the world of course we want to do all we can to assist those feeling war and persecution however we must be sensible about our approach in line with our capacity. Governments approach in this regard up to now in terms of provision of resources was idiotic in its design and lack the strategic approach necessary to balance the needs of our own domestic accommodation crisis and our wish to assist does in need of international protection.
Marc, I’d say government are terrified and completely cajoled by the plethora of well tax payer funded human rights, race relations and pro assylum seeker NGO’s that are the real policy makers in this area…. you’re on the ground in there – presumably I’m (we) are right in this assessment?
How much are they giving to the illegals as compared to these actually ppl escaping a war? Would it make sense to turn off the tap of those and open it on these poor folks, or would this be a stupid idea?
38 and a tent and told to get lost.
The tens of billions of pennies have dropped.