Taoiseach: We will have to re-examine our neutrality as 'the world has changed'

Taoiseach Micheal Martin: 'I believe Putin ultimately does not believe in democracy, has a real antipathy towards democracy and doesn't want democracy in Ukraine.'

Ireland will have to re-examine its position as a neutral country in the wake of Russia's attack on Ukraine, the Taoiseach has said.

Micheál Martin said the crisis would require a whole-of-Government humanitarian response which would be "challenging" as it "cannot be business as usual" and this should be prioritised right now.

On Ireland's stance as a neutral country, Mr Martin said: "I don't believe in a knee jerk response to this in terms of the broader non-alignment issue, but we should, when this war ends, we should create a forum for a reflection on that, because the world has changed.

"Russia has changed the multilateral order by this war. We've witnessed the growth in cyberattacks, the growth also in terrorist organisations.

The whole situation has changed so much that we do need to reflect on all of that.

About 1,800 Ukrainians have already arrived into Ireland, with about two-thirds of those having family connections here. However, Mr Martin said the number of people with links to Ireland was decreasing, which means the State will come under more pressure to provide accommodation, healthcare, education and other supports to those fleeing.

"This is an exceptional humanitarian crisis, brought about by war, and it's a wartime situation and therefore our responses have to be different to a non-wartime situation. All of us will have to do everything we possibly can to make those services accessible to Ukrainians who are fleeing war," Mr Martin said.

Given the lower Covid vaccination rates in Ukraine, the Taoiseach said a targeted approach would be needed to highlight the benefits of vaccination when people arrive here.

Asked about efforts to get people to open their homes to Ukrainian families, Mr Martin said: "In the first instance, we want to try and secure accommodation, hotels and other potential locations where we can accommodate people in an emergency situation. And I think we have to take this step by step.

We're getting a very good response from people and this week there will be a portal developed by the Department of Children to organise expressions and pledges of responses from the people in Ireland.

"For example, in the health area, quite a number of health personnel have contacted us to say they're willing to help with children for example, with particular illnesses and do what they can on trauma, or in paediatrics, or just more general health. So I think there is a genuine response across different sectors of Irish society, which will be over and above what we do in our normal lives."

He said work would be carried out to accommodate pensioners currently on a living alone allowance who want to take refugees in. But he stressed the priority was to provide State accommodation.

Mr Martin added: "We're not politically neutral at all on this war. We believe in universal values of self-determination, sovereignty and the right to territorial integrity and the freedom of the individual as well.

"I believe Putin ultimately does not believe in democracy, has a real antipathy towards democracy and doesn't want democracy in Ukraine."