Press release
Minister Humphreys announces the opening of 3 new city centre hubs to support Ukrainian families
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys has announced the establishment of 3 new city centre hubs to support Ukrainian nationals who have fled the Russian invasion.
The ‘Ukraine Support Centres’ in Dublin, Cork and Limerick will assist Ukrainians in obtaining PPS Numbers, availing of Social Welfare income supports, and receiving referrals to other State services.
Minister Humphreys confirmed that the centres at Cork Street in Dublin 8 and Hanover Quay in Cork City are now open to support families and individuals who have arrived in Ireland.
These centres will be open on Friday, 18 March and on Saturday, 19 March from 9.15am to 3pm. From Monday, 21 March, they will be open from 9.15am to 5pm.
A third hub will be opened in Limerick next week. The opening of these new hubs follows on from the launch last week of a ‘one-stop shop’ in Dublin Airport by Minister Humphreys and Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee.
These centres offer in-person meetings with displaced people to:
Representatives from the Citizens Information Service are also available in these hubs to help people from Ukraine with enquiries of a more general nature. Community Welfare Officers are also present to assist with applications for financial support. Interpretation services are available at the Centres.
Ukrainian nationals can also avail of such supports from their local Intreo Centre.
Announcing the opening of the new Ukrainian Support Centres, Minister Humphreys said:
“These dedicated hubs in Dublin, Cork and Limerick will ensure that Ukrainian families and individuals who have fled this terrible war can get the supports they need as quickly as possible.
“My officials are present in these new centres, as well as our Intreo Centres, to assist the Ukrainian people in obtaining the likes of a PPS Number – which is a crucial first step to accessing different services offered by the State.
“We have already issued over 5,000 PPS Numbers to people who have arrived from Ukraine since the start of the invasion by Russia.
“We have also provided many families and individuals with income supports such as Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA).
“I want the people of Ukraine to know that my department is here to help and support you in every way we can.
“Teams of staff from my department and the Department of Justice will be working over the Bank Holiday period - on Friday and Saturday - to assist the people from Ukraine arriving into Ireland with their immediate needs.”
Minister McEntee commented:
“Since I lifted the visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens travelling to Ireland on 25 February, almost 7,300 people seeking safety in Ireland have arrived and are being supported as needed.
“The Temporary Protection Directive has been activated at EU level, for the first time, to grant temporary protection to displaced persons from Ukraine. We have already granted temporary protection to more than 3,000 people, primarily through our reception facility at Dublin Airport. Staff from my department are onsite at the airport from 8am to 3am each day to ensure we are meeting all arrivals.
“The new hubs being announced by Minister Humphreys and I today, provide new dedicated locations where we can ensure everyone entering the State, no matter which port of entry they arrive at, has an opportunity to receive their temporary permission letter, their PPS Number and income supports.
“I will continue to work with my EU counterparts on any further EU-wide measures that might be needed to assist those fleeing Ukraine. Given the very extreme pressures being faced by Moldova in the current circumstances, we have also agreed, as part of an EU response, to offer to accept from Moldova up to 500 people who have fled the war in Ukraine.”
Working with the Department of Justice and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the department has established a reception Hub in Dublin Airport. This hub is open 7 days a week and operates each day until the arrival of the last flight. It is estimated that about 90% of people fleeing to Ireland from the war in Ukraine arrive at Dublin Airport.
In addition to the reception hub set up at Dublin Airport, the department has also arranged to meet people arriving on each ferry at Rosslare port including over the weekend and on St. Patrick’s Day and will assist them with applications for PPS Numbers and other supports.
Not every person arriving from Ukraine will transit these centres. The department is taking a number of other measures to support people.
Any person arriving from Ukraine can also attend any of the department’s Intreo Centres, located around the country, to register for a PPS Number and apply for income supports.
The department has also set up 2 additional dedicated Ukraine Support Centres, in Dublin and in Cork. A further hub is planned to open in Limerick next week.
The Dublin and Cork Ukraine Support Centres located at Cork Street Dublin 8 and at Hanover Quay in Cork City are open since this morning and offer in-person meetings with displaced people to:
Representatives from the Citizens Information Service are also available in these hubs to help people from Ukraine with enquiries of a more general nature. Community Welfare Officers are also present to assist with applications for financial support. Interpretation services are available at the Centres.
The department’s staff are also reaching out to people fleeing the war in Ukraine who have been placed in hotel accommodation by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Staff from the department will visit these hotels to brief residents and process any applications for PPS Numbers or financial supports.
Any person fleeing the war in Ukraine who has already arrived in Ireland and is staying in private accommodation but has not yet been issued with a PPS Number should visit one of the dedicated Ukraine Support Centres or their nearest Intreo Centre. They will need to bring identification such as their Ukrainian National Identity Card, their Ukrainian Passport or another form of identification.
In order to simplify the process for people arriving from Ukraine the department has developed a single form jointly with the Department of Justice.
This form collects the minimum set of information necessary both to issue a temporary protection certificate and a PPS Number and to access social welfare supports.
On arrival people are first certified by the Department of Justice confirming that they have been granted Temporary Protection under the EU Directive. This gives them legal permission to reside in Ireland for a period of 1 year, and the permission may be extended for further periods after that.
The Department of Social Protection’s staff then arrange the issue of PPS Numbers and the provision of financial supports.
The Department of Social Protection has also arranged for payments such as Child Benefit to be made within a very short period. Thereafter arrangements will be made to approve the appropriate primary social welfare payments.
People arriving from Ukraine are also advised of the availability of Exceptional Needs Payments under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme. These payments can provide support with costs related to travel, clothing and so on. Community Welfare Officers are located in the Dublin Airport Hub, the Ukraine Support Centres and the department’s Intreo Centres.