Ireland may be required to take in well over 20,000 Ukrainian refugees

Taoiseach Micheal Martin meets people attending a demonstration outside Leinster House in Dublin to protest the Russian invasion of their country (Brian Lawless/PA)

The Taoiseach has indicated that the country may be required to take in well over the 20,000 Ukrainian refugees speculated in recent days.

Micheál Martin said it was “hard to be definitive”, but that it was possible that country could take in “multiples of 20,000” refugees displaced by the war.

He said a “people of Ireland response” would be required.

“It’s moved very rapidly.

“I think we are at about 836,000 refugees, according to the United Nations, that have left Ukraine,” Mr Martin said.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaking to the media at Trinity College Dublin on Wednesday (Niall Carson/PA)

“Half of those have gone to Poland.

“We will play our part.

“There was a meeting today of all secretary generals of government departments.

“Tomorrow we will convene a meeting of ministers in key departments to start scenario planning and working out how we will respond to that.

“I think it will be a people of Ireland response as well as a Government response. It will be challenging. This is the largest war on the continent of Europe since the Second World War.

“I’m not sure people have yet grasped the enormity of what is happening and what can potentially happen in terms of the repercussions for the continent of Europe.

“There will be a migration impact, there will be an economic impact in terms of inflation.

“We’ve got to be ready as a country in terms of the more general consequences, migration being one.”

Mr Martin confirmed that the Government was working to secure accommodation for Ukrainian refugees arriving in the country.

He also said that the Government could not act alone, as it prepares for the arrival of people fleeing the Russian invasion.

“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 when they come here,” he added.

“Already people in the health and medical world are offering support in terms of trauma.

“There is a whole range of areas that will require society response.”