Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Today is a happy day. Two children were born in Kyiv. Their Irish parents travelled there in recent days for the birth of their much-longed for babies. Other babies will be born later this week. They have been born into a context where our Government has advised people not to travel due to the impending possibilities that could occur in Kyiv. Often in this House we get up and give out about officials, the Government and Ministers, and we hustle and hustle. Throughout the increasing tensions in Ukraine, though, I have been incredibly proud of our Department of Foreign Affairs. It has been extraordinary. Its staff have been in daily contact with all the parents registered with the Department. Those parents have been provided with support and welfare support. The Department has helped in every possible way and it is trying to move mountains to ensure the parents are reassured as they go to Ukraine to try to bring home their much-longed for babies. Many of these women have come through cancer. Some of them were part of the 221+ cervical cancer group. These are people who have had an arduous journey to get to this stage. That they are arriving in a place where their baby is going to be born and terrified that it is going to be a conflict zone is unbelievably upsetting for them.

I pay tribute to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, and to all the officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs because they are full of compassion. For people in that position, officials can hold such power over lives. The Department's officials are going to extraordinary lengths to demonstrate how much they are on the side of Irish people. It is a tremendous tribute to the Minister and the Department. I just want to acknowledge that here and to congratulate those who are mammies and daddies today. How exciting this is, and we look forward to welcoming them home at Dublin Airport.