Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the ambassador for her extremely powerful opening statement. I also thank her and her team for their distinguished presentation of their people's flight to this country in recent weeks. They have maintained the highest levels of professional diplomacy during what I can only imagine is the most difficult time personally for them and their families both here and at home.

I have three areas I want to refer to briefly that follow on from the opening statement. The first is a comment. The ambassador's requests are quite clear. They have received varying levels of response in this country and across the European Union. What we have seen throughout this devastating war is an inevitability. There was opposition at a European level for full sanctions when it came to such matters as SWIFT, but that changed. There was opposition at a European level to providing lethal equipment to the Ukrainian army, and that changed. Now we see people stating why they cannot or should not introduce an immediate ban on Russian oil and gas imports, a blockade of sea ports, or refuse to receive Russian flagged vessels, and ultimately the implementation of a no-fly zone. I am increasingly coming to the conclusion that all these things are inevitable and the longer there are delays at an Irish Government, EU or NATO level to these very fair requests, the worse this war will be for everyone.

I was very taken by the ambassador's comment that Ukrainians are dying, not just for the freedom of Ukraine but for the freedom of all of us in Europe. That is quite apparent. We take it for granted when we are watching from a distance on our satellite televisions while every morning the ambassador and her colleagues wake up and make that first phone call or send that text message home to family members.

Those of us here who try to take this as an existential debate and score political points, including myself, perhaps need to reflect a little more sensitively on that.

I have two direct follow-on questions, the first of which is on the details of supporting Ukrainian accession to the EU. We could all leave this room and say that we support the concept of Ukrainian membership of the EU - that would be an easy thing for us to do - but there are clear rules in the form of the Copenhagen criteria. Although those criteria are black and white, there are things that we can do within the EU and here in Ireland not just to advocate for Ukraine, but to support it and, indeed, Georgia and Moldova to meet those criteria. Prior to the invasion of a couple of weeks ago, where specifically were those supports required? Were they required in the economy, rule of law or access to an exchange of personnel? What can we start doing now to expedite that process? The responsibility for Ukrainian accession to the EU is no longer just Ukraine's. Rather, it is the EU's responsibility to meet that request favourably.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Ireland is relatively small compared to others, for example, the Russian Embassy, which sadly is still open. Regarding the influx of Ukrainian guests who are fleeing the war and the requirement to meet their needs on consular, pastoral and practical bases, I welcome the moves to have the reception centres open at Dublin, Cork and Shannon Airports, but where can the Irish Government - working with the Red Cross and more closely with the ambassador's team, the existing Ukrainian diaspora and the diasporas from Ukraine's neighbouring countries to help those who are coming to Ireland, who are traumatised and have left behind their husbands, sons, grandfathers and brothers - provide supports for the upwards of 100,000 people who will come here as our guests and not in ordinary circumstances? How can we as parliamentarians advocate to our Departments and Ministers to meet those ever-growing demands?