Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I will begin by referencing the Taoiseach's opening remarks, which addressed the wider global context. In the face of the humanitarian tragedy playing out in front of us, there is a need in both the short term and longer term to have a look at the global systems that underpin much of this conflict, including with regard to energy security and our reliance on fossil fuels, which needs to be rethought and unpicked for a range of reasons. We also need to consider downstream products, even with regard to the production of fertiliser and how we have built our agricultural system around that kind of fossil fuel input. We will also need a short-term or medium-term response to hunger in the global south. This is something I have raised with the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy. We will need a response to global food security because we know that Ukraine and Russia make a disproportionate contribution to the global grain supply. That will have to be addressed before the next harvest.

To return to the national context, the first thing we need to get across is the scale of the challenge we are facing. The Minister was very clear on this. This challenge is unprecedented in nature and we need to face up to that in our conversations. We almost need to revert to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The first thing we need to do is to provide these people with accommodation and shelter and to make sure they arrive at safe harbour.

I acknowledge the incredible outpouring of support through the Red Cross's pledging system but we need a one-day, one-week, one-month and one-year plan. A lot of what Deputy Whitmore said chimed with my own understanding of the issue. We absolutely need an emergency response now but we also need longer-term planning. We need such planning with regard to how we layer needs. I believe Deputy Cathal Crowe was moving towards this in his contribution. We need to think about where accommodation and school places are available but also about where transport and social welfare services are available and, it is to be hoped, where employment will be available.

I only have a few seconds remaining but, on the education response, we need to have a conversation about how to best provide for the educational needs of the children who are arriving and what is needed to address their trauma. We should begin a conversation on some sort of summer provision to allow them to get to grips with some of the language difficulties. There is a great raft of things we need to get across but the number one thing is the scale of the problem we are facing. We have to face up to that and be honest about it.

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