The Department of Foreign Affairs has said around 50 Irish citizens have registered with the embassy in Kyiv, while a number of others have indicated their intention to travel to Ukraine for medical treatment.
Following updated advice yesterday for Irish citizens not to travel to Ukraine and for all citizens there to leave immediately, the Irish parents of 14 babies due to be born to surrogates there are currently considering their options.
This morning, a Ryanair flight departed Dublin Airport for Kyiv with the vast majority of the 131 people booked on the flight showing up and making the journey.
A number of other people have registered their intention to travel to Ukraine for medical reasons.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has said around 50 Irish citizens have registered with the embassy in Kyiv, while a number of others have indicated their intention to travel to Ukraine for medical treatment. | Read more: https://t.co/VbK49WivmM pic.twitter.com/3EJlLXKBth
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) February 13, 2022
Fine Gael Senator Mary Seery Kearney has been liaising with the families of babies due to be born to Ukrainian surrogates between now and May.
Ms Seery Kearney said the families were devastated by yesterday's advice not to travel to Ukraine. She said the 14 couples who are due babies between now and May are now considering their options.
"They're devastated by the thought of being separated from their new-born babies that are due in the next couple of weeks."
She said she has been urging the families to contact the clinics and agencies that they have been dealing with in Ukraine, to see what arrangements can be made for their care of the baby until they can travel and in light of the deteriorating situation.
The US has warned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could begin in days, with its State Department ordering non-emergency embassy staff in Kyiv to leave amid the rising tension.
Christian Polimashev from Tallaght in south Dublin was travelling to Ukraine from Dublin this morning with his girlfriend for a skiing holiday and to visit his grandparents.
He said he was not concerned about the recent change to travel advice because he was not travelling to Kyiv.
"We're going to the western part which is very near to the Polish border. In my opinion nothing is going to be happening there as it's a mountain region. I'm going to my grandparents and to a ski resort there. I'm not going to be near the eastern part for obvious reasons. I have no concerns."
Meanwhile, the Minister for Foreign Affairs said that he spoke to Ireland's Ambassador in Kyiv last night.
In a post on Twitter, Simon Coveney said that the advice for Irish citizens is the leave Ukraine and that the Government will continue to work with EU partners and keep people updated.
Spoke to our Ambassador in Kiev last night. She leads a small but effective team & remains present doing an important job supporting Irish citizens.
— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) February 13, 2022
Advice to Irish citizens is leave Ukraine.
We cont. to work with EU partners & will keep people updated. https://t.co/x02k5ZQYSP
Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said the Government is monitoring the situation in Ukraine on "an hourly basis" and is in continuous contact with its European counterparts.
"We have a duty of care to Irish citizens to pass on the best advice and the best thinking as we receive it," he told RTÉ's This Week programme.
Mr Harris said families expecting babies to be born through surrogacy in Ukraine will be assisted on a case by case basis.
He said: "What we are doing is engaging at a foreign affairs level individually with those families.
"I would encourage any of those families that have not already done so to engage directly with our consular service and we will provide the best possible advice and obviously explore all of the options."
Dept reviews visa arrangements
The Department of Justice is reviewing visa arrangements to help the family members of Irish citizens living in Ukraine to enter Ireland swiftly.
Ireland is the only country in the EU that does not have visa-free travel arrangements for Ukrainian citizens, who are free to move within the rest of the EU for up to 90 days.
In a statement to RTÉ News, the Department of Justice said: "While Ukrainian nationals are not visa-exempt to enter Ireland, given the current circumstances all visa applications will be dealt with as quickly and as humanely as possible."
It said this includes family applications for family members of Irish citizens, "which will be processed swiftly".
Officials in the Department of Justice are working with colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs on the issue.
Additional reporting Mary Regan
