Taoiseach: Putin has created energy crisis and is 'potentially creating a famine crisis'

Micheál Martin also said Vladimir Putin was using migration as a 'weapon' to create pressure on European countries

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Picture: Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Russian president Vladimir Putin has created an energy crisis and is “creating potentially a famine crisis,” the Taoiseach has said.

Micheál Martin said Russian attacks on grain silos and curtailing the export of Ukrainian grain is affecting supply and will create issues “downstream”.

He said the Government is examining what can be constructed to accommodate refugees, but also what buildings could be reconfigured to make them suitable for refugees — and that this issue was being examined by a group of former local authority public servants working under the aegis of Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien.

Senior ministers have been ordered to examine ways of paying those who make properties available for use for Ukrainian refugees, the Taoiseach said.

Speaking in Dublin on Thursday, Mr Martin said he had called on Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys to probe the issue.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin. File Picture

“I spoke this morning to the minister for finance and the minister for social protection in particular, to look at various options,” he said.

“There are issues that would have to be sorted out, but in the first instance, what needs to happen is those who have pledged [accommodation], we need to get through that process, perhaps more quickly — it’s more time consuming on all involved,” he said.

Mr Martin ruled out any suggestion of capping the number of refugees Ireland will take, notwithstanding the warnings of a lack of accommodation across the country.

“We are not looking at that right now, but it’s going to be very challenging, and we’ll see how this pans out,” he said.

Asked if he would rule out putting a cap on arrivals, he then said that was not under consideration “at all”.

“We’re looking at looking after people as they come into the country. But it means new options and different options, given that we’ve exhausted a lot of facilities already, but we’re consistently working at expanding our capacities.” 

He said Putin was using migration as a “weapon” to create pressure on European countries.

“That explains the levelling of residential areas in Ukraine which had no military installations, [in a] very targeted, horrible strategy,” he said.