Cabinet to examine laws on welfare cuts for Ukrainians

Ukrainian children will still be entitled to enrol in schools and will be bussed to alternative schools should they be forced to move.

Legislation which will cut the rate of welfare for newly-arrived Ukrainians to Ireland will be brought to Cabinet on Tuesday.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys will bring to Cabinet new legislation to reduce welfare payments for Ukrainians/url], following a decision taken by Government before Christmas. Under this legislation, Ukrainians will now receive the daily expense allowance of €38.80 per week, down from the current jobseekers' rate of €232 per week.

The legislation will also provide that those receiving the new weekly payment will be required to engage with the Department of Social Protection’s Public Employment Services (Intreo), where they will receive training and skills support to help them into employment.

The proposals also include time-limiting State-provided accommodation to 90 days before people would be asked to find their own housing or take up pledged housing from homeowners.

Once Ukrainian refugees leave State accommodation centres, they will be able to claim a higher rate of welfare payment, if they qualify.

Those in State accommodation will still be entitled to the full child benefit payment under the new scheme, which will require the passage of legislation in January.

Children will still be entitled to enrol in schools and will be bussed to alternative schools should they be forced to move.

It is understood that the legislative changes will come into effect in the coming weeks, once they pass the Oireachtas.

Speaking last month after the Government agreed the moves, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that it was to bring the Irish offering “into line” with other Western European countries, some of which, he said, had not welcomed as many Ukrainians as Ireland on a proportionate basis.

The Government has said the measures are being taken because of housing supply pressure, and Ireland continues to expect about 500 arrivals per week.

By Christmas, more than 101,200 people had arrived from Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February 2022, with 74,500 Ukrainians living in state accommodation and 57,000 in fully serviced accommodation.

More than 16,000 Ukrainian people are currently in employment, according to Government figures. These figures also indicate that Ireland now hosts 2.3% of all beneficiaries of temporary protection in the EU. Ireland's population is 1.2% of the EU's overall population, according to Eurostat. 

Health waiting lists

Cabinet will also hear from Health Minister Stephen Donnelly that a pledge to cut waiting lists by 10% was met in 2023. Last year also saw a reduction of almost one third (32%) on those waiting longer than 12 months. 

Mr Donnelly will bring a memo outlining how there was an 11% reduction in the numbers waiting longer than 10/12 weeks, meaning 57,000 fewer people are waiting longer than the agreed Sláintecare targets than at the end of 2022.