Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ireland signed up to the directive and we committed to stepping up to join the international effort to support those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.

As one can see for the contributions from my colleagues here today, there has been a vast amount of time and effort spent working on Ireland's response to the horrific conflict in Ukraine. We are nearly three months into this horrendous war and, while the daily pictures of people leaving their homes in droves to seek safe haven elsewhere have somewhat dissipated, the reality on the ground is that it continues unabated.

Over 27,000 people have arrived in Ireland from the Ukraine to date. Nearly 18,500 require immediate accommodation but they all need help in some shape or form. Homes, healthcare, education, transport and work; the list is endless. This requires a whole-of-government response, and it needs to continue for the foreseeable future.

It is evident from my colleagues here today that we are committed to doing the best job we can with the resources available. Creative solutions for temporary emergency accommodation from the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, plus longer-term housing from the Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, are emerging.

Maslow's theory of hierarchy of needs keeps springing to my mind. Food, water, clothing, sleep and shelter are the bare necessities for anyone's survival. Once a person's basic needs are satisfied, the want for order and predictability sets in. Then a sense of love and belonging occurs which leads to the elevation of esteem and, finally, self-actualisation. We have the blueprint right here to chart how to help our Ukrainian friends. We must strive to assist them to reach the final point on the chart. They have already made a long and arduous journey to reach our shores. For many their journey is not over just yet, but it will be.

It will be soon, through our concerted and co-ordinated efforts. We must work together to realise this endgame. Ireland must show the céad míle fáilte today and every day. We must travel the end of the journey with them, and hold their hand while they assimilate into our country until such time as they can return to their homeland and rebuild their future.

As Minister of State with responsibility for disability, it is important that I also speak to those with disabilities who may be arriving into Ireland. To put it in context, I travelled to Romania for St. Patrick's Day and I used my time to engage. After coming home on that Friday, the first meeting I had on the following Monday morning was with the disability organisations. I chaired a meeting that day - I think it was 20 March - of disabled persons’ organisations, disability service provider organisations and members of the disability stakeholder group alongside officials from the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, - indeed, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, was also present - to discuss the impact of the war in Ukraine on disabled people in Ukraine and how best to co-ordinate our supports. One would think, listening to one or two contributions here today, that this had not happened.

The meeting provided an opportunity to share perspectives and expertise on challenges and potential solutions. Organisations at the meeting detailed the work being done to respond to the crisis across civil society organisations, both nationally and internationally. Both the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and I have also met the Ukrainian and Polish ambassadors to discuss how Ireland is positioned to support people with disabilities who may arrive here. Meanwhile, officials in the Departments of Health and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the HSE have continued to liaise on a number of issues.

The HSE national disability operations office is working with the community healthcare organisations, CHOs, its funded disability service providers and representative bodies to manage and co-ordinate appropriate responses. The HSE has established a number of dedicated work streams underpinning its national co-ordination efforts, including one which focuses on access to disability services. Any initiatives should engage with this HSE work stream to ensure a co-ordinated effort. The HSE has informed me it has agreed a pathway for disability screening and assessment as Ukrainians arrive into Ireland, while also making contact with the WHO regional office for Europe on the issue.

Ultimately, regardless of diagnosis or need, Ireland will not be found wanting. The public has demonstrated its solidarity with Ukraine. They have offered up their most prized possessions to help. Those who have a lot and those who have very little have all done so willingly and without calls for compensation. We have demonstrated our capacity for human kindness. It is in the most dire of circumstances and we all deplore the fact that it has to be given at all. It is hard to believe that the events that have unfolded so close to what is considered western civilisation are so barbaric as to be the opposite of civil. Let us continue regardless. Let us offer our support and strength in this time of need, no matter how great the need is.

If I can go off-script for a second, I talked about travelling to Romania. I travelled to Romexpo, where there were 2,000 beds put up. I met with the gentleman, Dr. Arafat, who was in charge of the Covid response and who was now in charge of the Ukrainian response, and he talked about the border and the crossings. He talked about Moldova and the couch-surfing that was taking place in Moldova. Dr. Arafat was talking about in excess of 100,000 people couch-surfing in Moldova at that stage and there are many times that number as we speak today.

I asked how can we help and Dr. Arafat's response was clear because it is not the first time they have found themselves in Romania in crisis. Like the Irish, they were able to mobilise and put a system in place. Dr. Arafat said that when they need they will ask and that we will come then but at present they needed a process - the flow to take place. They had a really good flow system.

I went down to the train station to see how it operated and where the tents were up on the train stations. You could see that weary face. One could see the different ways broken down into four different categories. The first was if you were on your own. The second was if you had children. The third was if you had an elderly parent with you, and then there was the singles. There were tents if a person needed to take shelter.

Then I went down to Romexpo, which I found quite inspirational. I was talking to the assistant secretary in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, about where the people at Romexpo talked about putting down the 2,000 beds and dividers between the beds, as well as the value of the washing machine. This was because all they had come with was their clothes and if they could wash their clothes and hold onto them, those were their prize possession.

People came to Romexpo and left clothes and food. Even if people were not staying there, and at that stage it had not opened, individuals who were spread all around Romania could come in and pick up some clothes and some of their favourite foods. It was like the free shop not too far from here in Dublin, and Deputy Connolly and I know about it in Oranmore and the wonderful work happening there.

The ground-up approach in Ireland is unbelievable. Officials, particularly those in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, worked morning, noon and night. I regularly talk about Ms Carol Baxter, assistant secretary general in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. She was up at 4 o'clock one morning trying to find accommodation for people coming off an aeroplane. She was doing that along with the day job. She was not alone. There were many more like Carol in that space. I also acknowledge the work of the Irish Red Cross. Along with the Irish Red Cross there were other groups. One was Helping Irish Hosts, which gave support to 750 Ukrainians in 250 Irish homes. There is also the role of the Sisters of Mercy in the convents in Loughrea and Gort. The convent in Templemore in Deputy Mattie McGrath's area has opened its doors to support refugees.

There is also the role of SICAP and the LEADER organisations. I often talk about Galway Rural Development, but in places that have LEADER organisations they were available when a bus rolled in, no matter what time it was, to ensure there was an interpreter was available, to ensure women and children could be attended to and even to ensure there was some cat food or dog food for the animal that came along as a reassurance pet. It was wonderful that the Government allowed them to bring their pets with them. The role of the pet has been phenomenal. In addition, the LEADER organisations mobilised communities saying they needed clothes and school books and that they needed to get clubs open. They brought the entire community with them. It was phenomenal. There was also the role of the Civil Defence, county councils and the education and training boards in ensuring that education and language services could be provided.

What I have described is not just the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth doing something or the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage doing something. It has been completely across government, across semi-State bodies and across communities, working with open arms and receiving people into the community. Long may it continue and long may we work together to ensure that the céad míle fáilte is there.

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