Clare’s Fianna Fáil TD insists that steps urgently need to be taken to speed up processing for refugees fleeing Ukraine.
It comes as Russia’s announced a ceasefire to allow civilians to flee key Ukranian cities which have been bombarded in recent days.
A third attempt is being made today at a ceasefire to allow civilians to flee some Ukrainian cities, but Kiev is angry that many of those humanitarian corridors lead to Russia and Belarus.
The Russian Defence Ministry says the humanitarian corridors were disclosed in advance.
Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov says they’ll be checking the situation closely.
Clare’s Fianna Fáil Senator travelled to the city of Lviv yesterday with party colleague Billy Kelleher, following an invitation from Vlodomir Zelenskyy’s ‘Servant of the People Party’.
The Mountshannon Senator, who’s Vice President of Fianna Fáil’s ALDE group, says it’s heartbreaking to see young women, children, the elderly and the vulnerable queueing for long period on the border of Ukraine.
The UN estimates that so far more than 1.7 million people have fled the country amid the invasion from Russia.
Senator Dooley, who’s currently in Poland, is calling for checking to be removed from the border.
Almost 500 Ukrainian refugees arrived in Ireland yesterday, bringing the total since the conflict started to around 1,800.
The Taoiseach says work is continuing to establish where the expected 100,000 total refugees will be housed here.
Micheál Martin says those arriving in Ireland will be given access to accommodation, healthcare and education.
Meanwhile, Criticism has been leveled at the UK for only granting visas to 50 refugees so far, with Boris Johnson saying they won’t be opening the borders in the same way the EU has.
