Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join with the Minister of State’s closing words there that Ireland indeed stands with Ukraine. We have sincerely felt that across all parties in the Dáil over the past few months.

At this point over 4 million refugees have now fled Ukraine across borders into Poland, Moldova, Slovakia, and so on. This country has welcomed people with open arms and we have embraced anybody who has wanted to come here. This is unanimous from listening to people today. We have provided accommodation and social welfare supports for people who are arriving and we have welcomed refugees into all of our communities across the country. The majority of Deputies have had some interaction with families as they have arrived. That has been a great thing to see right across the country. Not too far from here, some people prevaricated in those refugees’ moment of need. Thankfully, Ireland did not waver and opened its doors.

The one-stop shop in Dublin Airport is working very efficiently. We have a concern as steps are being taken to provide for similar models in Shannon and Cork. Can the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in his closing comments, address what is happening in Cork and Shannon in taking the necessary steps to have a one-stop shop in place in both of those areas?

Deputy Martin Kenny referred to the need to cross-reference the skill set that many of these refugees are bringing with them with needs in the medicine or engineering fields, for example. Many of them may be teachers who can, perhaps, help in the months ahead. Can the Minister address in his closing comments what steps we are taking to catalogue their skills as they are arriving in the country? How best we can utilise them, as I have said, in the coming months? Many of the Ukrainian people I have spoken to who have arrived in Cork feel they have something to contribute to the new society and homes while they are here, and want to do so.

It would be remiss of me not to comment on Cork specifically in respect of education and disability provision. The Minister is very familiar with the problems we have there at this point in time. I have serious concerns about an influx of a large number of people because the service provision within various community healthcare organisations, CHOs, across the country at the moment is not up to standard. CHO 4 in Cork is one of those areas. I have serious misgivings about our ability to provide adequately for any of those students who may come with needs, particularly in respect of mental health services, for example in regard to assessments of needs, autism supports or whatever the case may be. The majority of schools in Cork city are full at present, which is a major concern for us. There are only two secondary schools on my side of the city which would have any capacity to take any of these people who are fleeing from Ukraine. That is also something we need to look at.

On direct provision, the Minister said in his opening comments that we are still adhering to the White Paper commitment that direct provision will be wound down by 2024. This emergency poses a real challenge for us to meet that target. I would very much like to hear the Minister’s comments on that. I know he is saying we intend to stick to that aim, but I sincerely believe it is inevitable that in winding down direct provision, as abhorrent a system as it was, there will be knock-on consequences for what we are aiming to do there. I would appreciate a comment from the Minister on that issue.

On our diplomatic response, I was one of the people who came out at a very early stage to call for the expulsion of Russian diplomats and staff. I have no problem in echoing that sentiment again today and will do so at every opportunity. Ireland should use its position on the UN Security Council as best we can. The single greatest message we can send is that as a member of the UN Security Council, we are calling for that publicly.

I also ask what consideration is being given to possible diplomatic sanctions on any state that supports Russia. I am commenting here, in particular, on Belarus. We need to scrutinise what its involvement is.

My final point relates to the Opposition. I will not attempt to score political points about previous voting records, etc., in the European Parliament, but I will challenge the Deputies opposite on one point. I was hoping to say it to their leader earlier. I think that at European level, they are part of the same party - The Left group - as MEPs Flanagan, Wallace and Daly. I believe these people need to called out for their position. They are an embarrassment to this country. I would appreciate any efforts that the Opposition parties might make in that regard.

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