Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My understanding is that waiver is in place as of today. There are a small number of Irish citizens in Ukraine. We need to make sure that they can leave if they choose to do so and we also need to make sure that their families can get out if they need to do so. There is ongoing engagement today involving the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, and the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, to make whatever arrangements are necessary to enable the family members of Irish citizens to leave Ukraine if they need to do so in the coming period.

Our ambassador and her team are currently in safe locations in Kyiv. The Department of Foreign Affairs will remain in close contact with them in line with its procedures on ensuring the security and safety of embassy personnel.

The Government is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine with our EU partners and other international partners. In light of recent developments, the Department of Foreign Affairs is now advising all Irish citizens currently in Ukraine to shelter in a secure place. However, citizens should consider leaving Ukraine if they judge it safe to do so depending on their location and prevailing circumstances.

The Department of Foreign Affairs remains in direct contact with Irish citizens in Ukraine who have registered with the embassy. Currently, there are approximately 70 Irish citizens in the country. The safety and security of Irish citizens and their families is our priority.

The capacity of our embassy to provide consular assistance to citizens in the period ahead unfortunately may be extremely limited due to the security situation but the Department will issue regular updates as the situation develops and anyone requiring consular assistance and support can contact the Department of Foreign Affairs headquarters.

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