Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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292. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will give guidance to persons wishing to donate privately for humanitarian relief in Ukraine; if a list of suitable aid organisations can be prepared including the organisations in which donations qualify for tax relief; the non-governmental organisations that the Government will contribute to in order to alleviate distress in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12690/22]

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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The generosity of people in Ireland towards the Ukrainian people, the impulse to help those in need, and the strong solidarity with Ukraine, is very welcome and is to be commended. 

Building on the €10 million in Irish Aid funding already provided in humanitarian aid to partners already working on the ground, including Ukrainian civil society, the Taoiseach last weekend announced a further €10 million in Irish Aid funding in response to the humanitarian crisis.  This is in addition to prepositioned Irish Aid funding, including the Red Cross movement, UNHCR, and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (to which Ireland is the eighth largest donor). Irish Aid is supporting Irish NGO efforts through the Emergency Response Fund Scheme (ERFS), designed to support timely and effective responses to sudden onset humanitarian crises. Medical supplies have also been sent from Ireland in coordination with the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

From a practical perspective, the most effective way to deliver relief supplies is through broad, streamlined, and coordinated efforts.  People in Ireland who would like to assist are advised to send funds, rather than goods. This can be done through donating to established Irish and international humanitarian organisations. Dóchas, the umbrella organisation for Irish NGOs, has made available a list of entities which have launched Ukraine appeals. Their websites can be accessed at: www.dochas.ie/whats-new/ukraine-how-you-can-help/.

Additionally, the World Health Organisation has launched an emergency appeal for Ukraine, and this can be accessed here: who-emergency-appeal---ukraine-and-neighbouring-countries.pdf.

With regard to the question of tax relief, there is provision in Irish legislation for tax relief in respect of charitable donations to approved bodies. More information is available on the website of the Revenue Commissioners here: Charitable Donation Scheme (revenue.ie)  More generally, tax policy is a matter for the Department of Finance.

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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293. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland will propose to the United Nations Security Council a resolution calling for the immediate establishment of a reconstruction, reparation, and redevelopment fund for Ukraine which would be financed initially by the immediate confiscation worldwide of the assets of those oligarchs who have accumulated wealth by their ties to the Russian regime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12866/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Since the illegal, unprovoked and unjustified further invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces on 24 February, Ireland has stood in unwavering solidarity with the people and government of Ukraine.

In recent days, the EU has imposed a series of sanctions in response to Russia’s aggression, including by closing EU airspace to all Russian aircraft; freezing the assets of the Russian Central Bank in the EU; expelling key Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) system; sanctioning more than 500 individual oligarchs, Government Ministers, senior army and security officials, and heads of state institutions; and sanctioning key figures and Russian media outlets that are disseminating disinformation across the EU.

The principal rationale of these actions is to incentivise Russia to find a political solution to the conflict that President Putin has created, and to reduce the funding available to Russia to continue its illegal actions in Ukraine.

There has been widespread reporting of certain very visible assets, such as superyachts, being confiscated by authorities in some EU Member states. Without knowing the full facts of these incidents, if these seizures have taken place in order to comply with EU sanctions, this is because the sanctions require that the assets of those on the sanctions list be frozen with immediate effect. Intangible assets such as bank accounts will have been frozen across the EU also. Such asset freezing measures do not permit the appropriation of assets by EU Member States, but rather require that listed persons or entities do not have access to their assets for so long as a sanctions regime persists. EU sanctions are not intended to be permanent, but rather are designed to incentivise a change in behaviour that will ultimately lead to sanctions being lifted.

Separately, Ireland has provided €10 million in humanitarian aid and medical supplies for those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In addition, the EU has agreed a package of €500 million in military assistance for Ukraine under the European Peace Facility; €450 million for lethal equipment and €50 million for non-lethal equipment. Ireland constructively abstained on the lethal equipment package. We will pay our full share (approx €10 million) and our funding will go only to non-lethal elements.

We will continue to engage with European Union, United Nations and other partners to provide assistance to Ukraine.