Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am due in the House in less than ten minutes. I am not moving as fast as others as I have a crutch. I will ask a few questions, but I will not be present to hear the Minister's replies so I will check them afterwards.

The first is about Ukraine's candidate status. Like most Deputies, I am fully supportive of the Government's position in that regard. However, I am wondering about the process, the Copenhagen criteria, the acquis communautaireand so forth. That will be very challenging for Ukraine. What supports is the Commission putting in place and what can be done basically in the middle of a war? That is the situation we are facing.

My second question refers to sanctions.

Deputy Haughey spoke about the fact the foreign minister of Georgia said it would take 15 years for the sanctions to bite or impact. I am not sure the Minister responded to that and I am looking for his perspective on it. The Minister also spoke about the fact African leaders are blaming all sides, that one can understand why and that there is an information war going on here. Given the EU has pledged €1 billion to the Sahel and very significant amounts of money to the Horn of Africa around food security and food resilience, are the Russians engaged in providing, in real terms, food or aid, etc., or is this just an information war?

Moving to the third question, I will not expand about the civil society group on Ukraine that met yesterday because Deputy Howlin already did. I heard the Minister's response and it is positive but I wish to add my voice to the Deputy's and to the call from the civil society group. We need a lead within Government, a co-ordinating group or whatever, whose responsibility it is to be, if you like, in charge of what is happening because there is absolutely no doubt but that some local authorities, civil society organisations, local groups and individuals are beginning to feel somewhat adrift. It is crucial that does not happen because the Minister and I know, as we hear the conversations taking place publicly and privately, that certain people and organisations are trying to use the current situation around Ukrainian refugees to stir up trouble for various reasons, political and otherwise. Wherever there is any uncertainty it just adds fuel to the fire, so any work that can be done from the point of view of co-ordination, of a sense that somebody or some group is in charge and guiding this and that people can have confidence in it, is important.

I have a final question. The Minister may or may not be able to respond to this. If he cannot he may respond to me later. I have written to him about it. I have had communication from a small number of Ukrainians who wish to return to Ukraine but cannot because of the fact they cannot get papers. They want to return to their families, husbands, elderly parents, etc. I am not saying this is happening to all Ukrainians who wish to return; I only know the ones I speak to. What is the story there? Is there anything that can be done to allow people to return to their homes?

I will make one last comment. We are talking a lot here about the EU moving eastwards. When I was in Brussels, many people who live in the Baltic states, Poland and those countries see themselves very much as central Europeans and not eastern Europeans. Perspective is everything. I apologise to the Minister but I am up next.