SOCIAL WELFARE SUPPORTS of €141.4 million has been provided by the Department of Social Protection so far this year.

Under the temporary protection directive, Ukrainians that arrive in Ireland are entitled to a weekly social welfare payment as well as additional supports for their children, such as child benefit. 

Everyone arriving to Ireland under the temporary protection directive can also apply for a medical card.

Cabinet was today updated on the department’s finance management which found spending is 1.4% higher than profiled for this year, with additional spending also going on Covid supports such as additional payments for the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme. 

A Government spokesperson said the overspend is due to the “very necessary and important decisions” that had to be taken by the minister in light of the Ukraine crisis. 

Last week, the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was told that the State’s total spend on the Ukraine crisis is €1 billion

The PAC heard some €593 million has been spent to date on the Ukrainian war, with €448 million projected to be spent on accommodation costs before the end of 2022.

Government policy on the Ukrainian response has hardened in recent days with the introduction of a refusals policy which means Ukrainian refugees will not get a second offer if they turn down alternative accommodation and refuse to vacate their hotels.

Overspends 

Cabinet was also informed of an overspend within the Department of Education, with a net expenditure until the end of September standing at €7.039 billion or 78.5% of the Department’s 2022 allocation of €8.964 billion.

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This is €314 million, or 4.7% ahead of profile.

Net current expenditure is running €144 million ahead of profile, while net capital expenditure is running €170 million ahead of profile.

The main reasons current expenditure is running €144 million ahead of profile is due to costs for substitute teachers being higher than anticipated at this stage in the year, largely due to Covid-19, pension costs, higher fuel costs for school transport, and providing for additional pupils from Ukraine. 

The Government states that capital expenditure costs are ahead of profile due to issues such as construction inflation; a need to deliver a large cohort of special class and special school places at pace to support children with additional needs as well as the urgent need to cater for 12,544 school children from Ukraine.

The Department of Education is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to managing funding pressures for the rest of the year, with the need for a substantive Supplementary Estimate for the department needed before year-end.