Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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261. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he has taken to ensure that Irish citizens and their families in Ukraine are at all times safe and can avail of consular services; the steps he has taken to protect Ireland’s services there; and his plans to update advice in respect of Ukraine (details supplied). [5531/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine, drawing on reports from our recently opened Embassy in Kyiv and our co-ordination with EU and other like-minded partners.

The Department of Foreign Affairs advises against all non-essential travel to Ukraine at this time. We continue to keep this advice under constant review so that citizens can make informed decisions on travel. It is up to each individual to carefully consider their travel plans and citizens are advised to monitor the Department’s Travel Advice, at , as well as our social media pages for the latest information.

My Department has also been engaged in contingency planning for possible developments in relation to Ukraine, and preparations are being made accordingly.

At this stage, it is strongly recommended that Irish citizens travelling to or resident in Ukraine, including those travelling for the purposes of a commercial surrogacy, register with the Embassy of Ireland in Kyiv. This will allow our Embassy to provide them with consular assistance should the need arise. Anyone requiring consular assistance or support, can contact the Embassy of Ireland in Kyiv at any time.

There are no plans to withdraw or evacuate staff from the Embassy of Ireland in Kyiv at this time or to reduce the level of service provided to citizens. My Department will, of course, continue to monitor the security situation in the country in line with our procedures on ensuring the security and safety of Embassy personnel.