Taoiseach seeks a 'people of Ireland response' to Ukraine

Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaking to the media at Trinity College Dublin this afternoon. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Taoiseach has called on members of the general public to do whatever they can to assist Ukrainians who arrive here as the scale of the crisis will require a "people of Ireland response".

Micheál Martin has suggested that people may be asked to open their doors to Ukrainian families while doctors and nurses will be urged to volunteer to treat those who have been wounded in the conflict.

Mr Martin also warned that the cost of fuel and food is likely to rise as a direct result of the conflict and a paper on inflation projections is currently being worked on at EU level.

Mr Martin said that around 836,000 people have already left Ukraine, with around half of those going to Poland, but Ireland will have to play its part in taking in displaced people.

"I think it would have to be a people of Ireland response as well as a Government response, but it will be very challenging. 

This is the largest war on the continent of Europe since World War Two. I'm not sure that people yet fully grasp the enormity of what is happening, what potentially can happen in terms of the repercussions for the continent of Europe. 

"There will be that migration impact, there will be an economic impact in terms of inflation."

Government departments are currently working through the logistics of taking significant numbers of Ukrainians into the country. This will involved the leasing of hotels. However, he said the public may also have a role to play.

Mr Martin added: "It will be at a scale and at a level that we will require volunteers, people in civil society to work with us to help people of Ukraine who may come here, or indeed through non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations on the ground, along the border, for example, to provide assistance, and that's where our funding will go predominantly, in the first instance.

"Already people in the health area in the medical world are offering support in terms of trauma care, potentially, as happened with the Haiti earthquake where some of our trauma surgeons volunteered to help," he said.

"There's a whole range of areas that will require a society response."