Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome and acknowledge the Minister's statement earlier this evening in the Chamber. It was a very powerful statement of the way we are going with this unfortunate crisis that we have experienced in the past six days. It is hard to imagine that six days ago this war was inflicted on the Ukrainian people. In many ways we are watching this war from Ireland on social media and our access to such media has made very obvious the pain that the Ukrainian people are experiencing.

Last Monday I met a delegation in my office in Bandon of perhaps eight or nine people from Ukraine. There are over 200 people in Bandon from Ukraine, and they work in the many factories we have there. There is a great fear among them. Some of them are going home to fight and some have Ukrainian nationals coming to them on Friday afternoon through Dublin Airport. These people were deeply concerned about passports, visas and social welfare and this afternoon's announcement from the Cabinet is really helpful in that respect. In many ways it has answered the questions put to me on behalf of the Ukrainian people in the Bandon area about how they will survive and operate over the next couple of years. It is a really important and brave step from the Irish Government.

We have also seen a really positive and brave step from the European Union in the past six days in particular and the strength demonstrated by the Union is unique. It must be recognised that the sanctions it has brought to bear on Russia are something we thought the European Union would not have the power to do. It has proven us wrong and it brought forward a line of monetary and airspace sanctions, along with other initiatives that have really helped the cause and put out the message that we are really behind the Ukrainian people.This is literally our war. We are all involved in one way or another. I have seen myself that there are Ukrainians living in every parish in this country. There is a connection to all of us. We need to support them. I compliment the people who are raising money and gathering food to help the Ukrainian people. That is happening everywhere today. That is a sign of what the Irish people view as their mandate to help the Ukrainian people in their hour of need.

Today, we have seen a major step forward at Cabinet, which we hope will help Ukrainians on the ground, but the longer-term issue is how to deal with a dictator in Russia. The Minister and other Members of the European Council have to work on ensuring we have an answer to that question.