Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
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238. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will consider supporting the withdrawal of temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees from the Oblasts of Volyn, Rivne, Lviv, Ternopil, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi areas which have been excluded by the Swiss Federal Council as they are deemed to be peaceful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55805/25]

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland opted into the Temporary Protection Directive on 11 April 2003. Under Article 2, the Temporary Protection Directive applies to the following groups of people who have had to flee Ukraine due to the invasion by Russia :

a) Ukrainian nationals who were residing in Ukraine before 24 February 2022;

b) Nationals of a third country (other than Ukraine) or a stateless person who would have benefited from international protection (for example: Refugee status) or an equivalent national protection status in Ukraine and were residing there before 24 February 2022;

c) Family members of persons covered by a) and b), where their family already existed in Ukraine, prior to 24 February.

Under Article 4 of the Temporary Protection Directive, where the reasons for temporary protection persist, the Council may decide by a qualified majority, on a proposal from the Commission to extend temporary protection for a further year. Similarly, the Council may at any time decide by a qualified majority to end temporary protection on a proposal from the Commission where the situation in the country of origin is such as to permit the safe and durable return of those granted temporary protection.

On 15 July 2025, the Justice and Home Affairs Council unanimously agreed to extend Temporary Protection by a year until March 2027. This extension is due to the ongoing uncertainty and volatility of the situation in Ukraine, and the related need for ongoing protection in the EU.

This extension has not altered those who are eligible under Article 2 and therefore it is not possible for any EU Member State, including Ireland, to provide protection on the basis of Oblasts. I would note that Switzerland is a Schengen associated country and while it has coordinated its refugee policy with the European Union, it is not bound by the Temporary Protection Directive.