Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is not the fault of the Acting Chairperson.

I welcome the Minister to the House. For good or bad he is now the lead Minister who is dealing with the Government's response and I think the matter is in very capable hands.

Over the last number of days I have engaged extensively with people from Ukraine who have sought refuge in this country and I have a number of questions. The Minister is in charge of what I would describe as a whole-of-government response. He may not have answers to all of my questions which, even though they may not relate to his Department, will certainly be channelled through his Department.

My first question is on the yellow letter that Ukrainians receive that grants them permission to remain here for one year. There is confusion because some people believe that the duration is three years. I ask the Minister to clarify whether the period is one or three years or one year with the potential to extend for another two years. I seek that clarification because it is clear that the war will be protracted.

Second, many Ukrainians are being accommodated in hotels. They want to know whether they will remain in a hotel or go to family homes and other accommodation. Can they remain in hotels if they so wish? If people come from a war-torn country and are staying in a hotel then they want to know whether that is where they will remain for six months or whether there will be alternative accommodation. A number of Ukrainians have raised this issue with me. I was very fortunate to have a Ukrainian translator and on Monday night I met dozens of Ukrainian refugees when I got a flavour of the issues that affect them.

Third, some of the refugees drove to Rosslare Europort and Dublin Port to get here. They have cars while other refugees have cars in the Ukraine. Will the Ukrainian driver licence be applicable here?

Fourth, some Ukrainian refugees are qualified to drive trucks in Ukraine and they have also driven trucks in Europe. Is the Government engaging with the Road Safety Authority to clarify whether their truck licences will be respected and accredited here?

Another issue is insurance. Has anyone in government engaged with the private insurance industry? I ask because a number of the refugees have heard about the rip-off insurance costs in this country. Given the fact that they are coming from the Ukraine to Ireland they do not have any no claims bonus driving history in this country. Will the insurance companies step up to the plate and provide reasonable insurance to them so as to allow them to drive the cars that they have brought with them from Ukraine or if they buy a car here?

Another issue is the cost of public transport in rural Ireland and I have raised this issue here for years. One must pay an awful lot more to travel by train from Ennis to Galway than from Maynooth to Dublin.Most of the Ukrainians living in places like Ballyvaughan and Lisdoonvarna in County Clare - up to 99% of them - do not have cars and are reliant on public transport to get into the capital town to do shopping and other things. The buses were overrun during the St. Patrick's Day weekend. Some bus operators are running free services for Ukrainians while others are charging them. Is there a policy such that people who come from Ukraine will get a bus ticket for three months free of charge? I acknowledge this issue is not a matter for the Minister's Department but, as the leading Department overall, I expect him to be able to answer the question. Transport is a major issue.

On education, including higher education, I have engaged with young people in Ukraine who are doing the equivalent of the leaving certificate and who want to go to college in September. How will that work for the young people who come here? Has the Minister been engaging with the Department of Education to come up with protocols in this regard? I spoke to a student in Ukraine who has spent five years studying medicine there. Will that person be able to transfer to study medicine in Ireland? Again, as the Minister's Department is the lead Government agency on these issues, I hope he can answer that question.

I spoke to a woman who has been fostering in Ukraine for years and has looked after many dozens of children. She fled the country with eight children, a couple of whom are her own and the remainder of whom are foster children. She has been trying unsuccessfully to contact the authorities she was told to contact when she got to Ireland. I gave her reassurance that nobody would interfere with her looking after the children. I presume I was correct in doing so. This is another issue that needs clarity. We must have daily briefings that give answers to some of the questions I have raised.