Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. I have been listening to debates in this Chamber for over a year and a half and I have heard some strange comments in that time but I struggle to think of a more daft comment than what I have heard from one Senator tonight. I do not know if the Minister was here when it was said. The question was put as to whether Ireland is on Russia's side. These sorts of comments are infuriating when we are trying to have a conversation about supporting and protecting a vulnerable country. In fairness to Senator Higgins, she put it very well when she said Ireland is on the side of humanity. That is what the European Union is doing and it is why decisions were made today at Cabinet, such as the waiving of the requirement for visas for people from Ukraine. This effectively means we are treating these people as if they are EU citizens, which is really important. It demonstrates what Ireland wants to do.

I have two questions that the Minister may be able to answer. We are to allow Ukrainian citizens into Ireland and treat them almost like EU citizens. They will be able to work for up to a year and possibly three years. If Ukrainian citizens are already here and their visas are terminating, under normal circumstances they might have to go back to Ukraine, so do the new provisions apply to them as well?