Welfare rates for Ukrainian refugees

Sir, – I find it disconcerting that people driven from their land by an invading oppressive regime, Russia, having their cities and homes bombed, family members killed, their lives turned upside down for more than two years now, and we, the Irish State, are now adding insult to injury by cutting the weekly social welfare payment to €38.80 (News, May 14th).

Many Ukrainians here have children with normal day-to-day spending demands, a pair of shoes for instance for one child will cost more that €38.80, and in one fell swoop we are about to create a new poor in Ireland.

Ireland is no longer the land of welcomes – Ireland is showing its true face with this move, one of intolerance. The Taoiseach should reverse this draconian measure. He may feel he is showing how tough he is, but in reality he is showing how weak he is.

He should not bow to the extreme right, and he should not buckle under the weight of pressure from a few keyboard warriors. I pray the Taoiseach changes his mind on this matter before it is too late. – Yours, etc,