Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2022
953. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the best route for counselling services to volunteer aid to Ukrainian refugees and to hire incoming skilled workers in this field; if assistance is available to them in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14430/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to delivering a humanitarian response to welcome people fleeing the war in Ukraine and seeking protection in Ireland as part of the EU response.
Very significant planning and preparatory work is taking place across Government to provide accommodation and other essential supports to those who have arrived here already, as well as the large numbers of further people expected to arrive. This work is taking place with the support of the Irish Red Cross and NGOs and charities across the country.
A webpage on the whole-of-Government response is available at www.gov.ie/ukraine and includes information on supports and services available to people arriving from Ukraine. This webpage will be supplemented and updated on an ongoing basis with the support of the relevant Departments.
The Department of Health is liaising with other Government departments and agencies to provide humanitarian support for Ukrainian refugees. It is a priority for the Department and the HSE to ensure that Ukrainian refugees are provided with appropriate health and social care services.
Refugees from the Ukraine will be granted temporary protection status. Under this measure, refugees will be considered ordinarily resident in Ireland for a limited time period and therefore will be entitled to access health care services, in line with other refugee groups and Irish citizens.
A one-stop-shop is being provided in Dublin airport and other locations for Ukrainian refugees. This includes application for temporary protection status, PPSN and welfare payment, emergency accommodation and information on health services, including a medical card.
My Department is collaborating with the HSE to ensure that refugees have access to the same range of health care services as Irish and EU citizens.
Refugees holding temporary protection status will be entitled to apply for a medical card order to access primary care services for each adult and child dependents. A process will be implemented to facilitate timely access to a medical card, based on the Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) provided by the Department of Social Protection.
Health care services will include primary health care services for adults, children and older people, ongoing care of priority medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illness, services for psychological stress and mental health, and social care services for people with special needs. It is the intention to provide these services in a culturally appropriate manner and to take into account language and other factors.
The Department of Rural and Community Development is linking with key stakeholders at community level, including local volunteer centres, to provide information on the national response, support the co-ordination of immediate and ongoing integration and social supports through the local and community development sector, ensure complementarity with national and local government initiatives and enable flexibility in programme delivery to focus on the response.
In addition, offers of medical and mental health specific support can be notified by email to the HSE at socialinclusion@hse.ie with the subject: Ukraine.
I appreciate the social solidarity of the Irish people for the Ukrainian refugees and their desire to assist with the national effort to provide accommodation and other supports.
