The Department of Social Protection issued 306,000 personal public service (PPS) numbers last year necessary to access social welfare benefits, public services, and to work in Ireland according to figures obtained by Colm Burke, Cork North-Central, Fine Gael TD.
This compares to 174,525 in 2021 during restrictions on travel and 132,001 in 2020. A total of 196,177 PPS numbers were issued in 2019 before the pandemic struck.
69,070 PPS numbers were issued to Irish people last year including 56,954 PPS numbers for children whose births were registered with the General Register Office.
A total of 68,884 PPS numbers were issued to Ukrainians.
21,471 PPS were issued in 2022 to people from India in comparison to 13,815 in 2021; Romania: 15,581 in comparison to 14,036 in 2021; Brazil; 16,414 in comparison to 2,692.
In total approximately 236,000 PPS numbers were issued in 2022 to non-Irish residents, 77% of the total issued.
It cannot be denied that this huge increase in the number of workers entering the country is putting additional pressure on already over-stretched housing, education, and healthcare provisions.