Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that while there are no plans to cut welfare entitlements for Ukrainians already in State accommodation any time soon, he cannot “rule out” doing so down the line if the Ukraine war ends.
Speaking in Brussels yesterday, the Taoiseach was commenting on the fact that at the end of last year, new Ukrainian arrivals to Ireland would only be offered a payment of €38.80 per week rather than €232, and would only be given state accommodation for 90 days, rather than indefinitely.
Varadkar said that he didn’t plan to extend this to all Ukrainian refugees living in State accommodation, but that he couldn’t rule this out in future.
“The government has agreed that the changes apply to new arrivals from Ukraine, but not people who have been in the country up to now, and I don’t envisage that changing in the near future,” he said.
“I can’t rule out that changing at some point in the future, particularly if we’re at a position whereby the war has ended in Ukraine and people are able to return home.”
He added: “But certainly for those who are here already, there are no plans for any change in their entitlements in the near future.”
The development comes after last week it was revealed that the Irish government may suspend signing new hotel contracts to accommodate Ukrainian refugees, shortly after the numbers arriving in Ireland almost halved since December.
“What the Cabinet Subcommittee on Ukraine was told yesterday was effectively there’s been a step-change in the numbers of people arriving who are fleeing that war,” Irish Times Political Reporter Jack Horgan-Jones told The Pat Kenny Show.
“About 796 people came in the month up to January 22nd, that compares to a total of 2,150 in December. Alongside this, Ukrainians are now leaving State-provided accommodation at a higher rate to seek independent lodgings, return to Ukraine or travel elsewhere.”
This drop-off appears to have happened shortly after the cut in Ukrainian welfare rates was announced.