Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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15. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade what initiatives are being taken to support Ukraine's repair, recovery and reconstruction, in coordination with international partners, and specifically in relation to the demining process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10900/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The ongoing destruction of Ukraine by Russia makes it difficult to assess the eventual cost of reconstruction. Most recent World Bank estimates have put the eventual reconstruction cost at US$486 billion, a figure which continues to rise.

Ireland has provided both humanitarian and stabilisation support bilaterally to Ukraine, focused on early recovery efforts, while engaging at EU and multilateral level on discussions around longer-term reconstruction.

International conferences in Lugano, Berlin, Paris and London, have focused on putting in place the necessary structures and mechanisms for a successful longer-term reconstruction effort.

A multi-donor coordination platform has been established, hosted by the European Commission, following agreement by the G7.

In February, the European Council finalised agreement on a Commission proposal for a €50 billion “Ukraine Facility” to cover the period 2024-27, which Ireland strongly supported and welcomes. Part of this package will invest in rebuilding critical infrastructure.

Also in February, the EU reached agreement concerning the use of extraordinary revenues stemming from Russia’s immobilised sovereign assets to support Ukraine. This agreement establishes the necessary basis to make the revenue generated from the immobilised Central Bank of Russia assets available and to ensure it is held separately from the assets themselves. A later final step will then deal with how this revenue could be used to support Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.

Ukraine is one of the most mined and weapons contaminated countries in the world, with mines present in over 174,000 km of Ukrainian territory. Humanitarian demining will be a complex, demanding, long-term challenge with estimated costs in excess of $37 billion. Ireland has donated demining equipment to Ukraine (mine flails) and provided the Ukrainian military with training on this equipment through EUMAM Ukraine. Ireland has also joined the Lithuanian-led demining coalition under the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.