Ukrainians have ‘no complaints’ about Irish support, says delegation

A Ukrainian political delegation has said it is aware of Ireland’s critical shortage of refugee accommodation and that there were “no complaints whatsoever” regarding the efforts to help.

The Ukrainian Committee on Foreign Affairs played down any concerns regarding Ireland’s lessening ability to offer safe haven to thousands of citizens fleeing continuing Russian aggression.

“We appreciate a lot your help with our displaced people [and] to know how well they are treated in Ireland,” Olga Rudenko told the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs via video link on Tuesday.

“I know, I spoke to a lot of people and Ireland is one of the best countries for them to live [in]. I know you don’t have enough accommodation. We do know this fact and we are not like, having any complaints, no complaints whatsoever. We do know that you do as much, more than you can do.”

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Concerns have been mounting regarding an inability to find suitable accommodation for Ukrainians arriving in Ireland. Last week, the Government was preparing an urgent local authority-led appeal for vacant properties.

Ms Rudenko was responding to comments by Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell who painted a bleak picture of the situation.

“I am concerned about the number of displaced people who are still attempting to enter Ireland,” he said.

“Believe me when I say this: it’s not that we do not want your citizens here. We want to provide any accommodation, any resources we can but right now we have nothing left. Your people that are coming here are coming to very, very poor accommodation, and very poor circumstances.”

Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of the Ukrainian committee, also expressed gratitude for Ireland’s response to the war and said it could continue its support in other ways.

“Ireland is [a] superpower in terms of culture and in political terms because you have influence, you have very strong influence for example in the United States,” he said.

“I am not ashamed to ask you to do this. Please use your influence in the United States to help Ukraine because your diaspora is highly respected.”

With Russia continuing to target Ukrainian civil infrastructure, Mr Merezhko addressed half of Tuesday’s meeting under candlelight from Kyiv.

He described a visit to a centre in Lviv in western Ukraine for displaced people fleeing the conflict.

“It was very moving to see children’s toys. These people who lost everything, they were thinking at the last moment what can they take to carry with them? And someone took toys for a child, someone took a cat, you know, or a small dog,” he said. “It is a huge tragedy for these people who lost everything and who don’t know what to do.”

Updating the committee regarding the situation on the ground, he said Russian forces have been regularly bombing the Ukrainian capital in a bid to completely destroy its infrastructure. The government has begun to consider evacuating three million people from the area, he said, in advance of potentially “one of the most difficult winters in our history”.

Mr Merezhko also said Ireland, as well as other democratic countries, should expel Russian ambassadors, who are akin to war criminals.

In response to a question from Independent TD Cathal Berry, who had asked if the Ukrainian government would “appreciate” such a move, he was unambiguous.

“Russia should be isolated diplomatically,” he said, adding that such a move would not necessarily disrupt consular relations. “It’s important symbolically, it’s important politically, because it increases isolation of Russia.”

The Irish Government has consistently distanced itself from any such steps, however, insisting on the importance of diplomatic ties, however unpopular.