A local Independent TD has branded the disparity between supports for Ukrainian Refugees and Asylum Seekers as discriminatory. Sligo/Leitrim TD Marc MacSharry says Government's response to the international refugee crisis as 'reactionary and non-strategic'. International Protection applicants currently receive a weekly allowance of €38, while those fleeing the war in Ukraine receive a full rate of social welfare.
The Independent TD claims that a number of Ukrainians seeking refuge in Ireland are coming from areas unaffected by the war and are seeking the states financial supports. Deputy MacSharry has called for a clamp down on those he brands as 'opportunistic' migrants, and a reduction of supports back to the €38 allowance.