'I’m embarrassed we have offered so little': Ireland yet to take 500 elderly and vulnerable refugees 

Refugees from Ukraine entering Moldova at Palanca-Maiaky-Udobne border crossing point between Moldova and Ukraine, on March 30. Picture: Daniel Mihailescu/AFP via Getty

Ireland needs to better help Moldova support the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees arriving into the country and honour its commitment to take 500 vulnerable people, the chairman of the joint committee on EU affairs has said following a visit to the area.

Nearly 400,000 refugees have so far fled into Moldova to escape the Russian invasion.

The Irish Government agreed in mid-March to take a group of refugees, including some elderly people and people with disabilities who had arrived in Moldova.

However, the group has yet to arrive in Ireland, Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh and other committee members heard from Moldovan authorities during a two-day visit.

Members of the committee on EU affairs at Palanca border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova: Joe McHugh, Brendan Howlin, John Brady, Regina Doherty, Darren Kelly, with ambassador of Ireland to Romania Paul McGarry and Moldova And Head of Border Police Rosian Vasiloi (with translator).

“We have committed to 500 vulnerable people — as far as I am aware they have been identified on this side,” he said, speaking to the Irish Examiner at the Palanca border crossing on Wednesday.

There’s still a bit of work to be done on the Irish side. I’ll certainly be bringing back the message we need to fast-track that as well. 

"I think we need to act very, very quickly on that commitment.” 

Some of the arriving refugees travel on to Romania, Austria, and other countries, but many remain.

“It’s an incredible, generous thing for a very, very poor country in Moldova — there is maybe between 90,000-100,000 Ukrainians today availing of their services, which were already under pressure,” he said.

They need help from the likes of ourselves and the European Union.” 

Fine Gael senator Regina Doherty described Moldova as “incredibly poor money-wise, and yet so rich and proud in the response they have given”.

She also called for more progress on Irish commitments.

Ukrainian youth comfort each other as they wait to get for a bus at Palanca-Maiaky-Udobne border crossing point between Moldova and Ukraine. 

“I’m embarrassed as a country we have offered so little,” she said. 

“The Justice Department have agreed to take 500 refugees that are already in Moldova who have special needs because of their age or disabilities, but yet we haven’t got around to taking them in yet. 

What is keeping us?” 

Those arriving included one young woman travelling with her elderly mother and carrying her two-year-old son. Helen Vinorovna said as they fled her husband phoned her from Mykolaiv about an attack on the city.

Head of the Moldovan Border Police, Rosian Vasiloi, told the group that 1,700 people are crossing on a daily basis, down from a peak of 12,000. He said three elderly people died while waiting in line to cross.

He said if Odesa were to come under sustained attack, the numbers arriving could soar to 100,000 daily.

Sinn Féin TD John Brady said: “There is a lot of goodwill there, but it is putting their services under a lot of pressure, so they are appealing for a lot of assistance, in particular finance. 

They need money to put into their health service and wherever it is needed.” 

 The politicians, who travelled with Irish ambassador for Romania and Moldova Paul McGarry and honorary consul to Molodva Suzanne O'Connell, were moved by the refugees' plight, with some women crossing into the county carrying children, pets, and small bags before receiving assistance.

An Ukrainian refugee enters the Republic of Moldova with her dogs at Palanca-Maiaky-Udobne border crossing point between Moldova and Ukraine, on March 30, 2022. Picture: Daniel Mihailescu/AFP via Getty

They also met with Ukrainian refugees in Chisinau, and Labour TD Brendan Howlin highlighted how some volunteers they met at support centres were young people from Odesa now helping newer arrivals.