Information about Ukrainian refugees coming to Ireland will be shared with the UK, the Minister for Transport has said.
Eamon Ryan was responding to anonymous briefings to the British press which claimed that Ireland's decision to lift all restrictions on refugees fleeing war, could pose a security risk.
A report in the Daily Telegraph said the Common Travel Area meant Ukrainians who did not pass British security checks could reach the UK by travelling to Northern Ireland and getting a ferry to the UK.
Minister Ryan said: "We have an open border with Northern Ireland, that is not going to change - be that for pandemic reasons or be that for refugee reasons."
He said: "The only real way we can enhance security is with good sharing of information, real up-to-date immediate information."
"We are not going to shut the border and the UK government will understand this in the same way as we understood it when it was coming the other way with the pandemic.
"The best way is not to shut a border but to ensure you share information. That gives confidence that the security issue can be addressed," Minister Ryan said.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee told the Cabinet this morning that she has been in regular dialogue with British Home Secretary Priti Patel about having records and data on migrants that can be shared in a GDPR appropriate way.
Providing for Ukrainian refugees an 'enormous challenge'
The Government will have to take steps that would not normally be taken to provide accommodation, education and childcare to Ukrainian refugees, the Taoiseach has told the Dáil.
Micheál Martin said providing shelter and services for those fleeing the warzone will be an "enormous challenge, the scale of which we have never dealt with before".
He said 2,200 Ukrainian people have arrived her already, and the duration of the crisis is not yet known.
"We will have to take steps to circumvent normal approaches to provide the level and scale of accommodation that will be required and also to match that with access in particular to childcare and education," he said.
Mr Martin said there have been conversations between the Ms McEntee, and Ms Patel following reports that the British Government had concerns around the open-door policy adopted by Ireland.
"We have pointed out to the UK that we are part of a European Union wide response in terms of waiving visa requirements it is a humanitarian response, and that will continue to be our position."
Labour TD @DuncanSmithTD asks the Taoiseach "why are so many Russian embassy staff here when we don't have strong trade or cultural links?" Taoiseach @MichealMartinTD says the Government cannot condone what happened yesterday at the Russian embassy. pic.twitter.com/k3tSCbGB5o
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 8, 2022
Mr Martin was responding to the Labour Party TD, Duncan Smith, who said: "There are estimates of 100,000 refugees coming to Ireland. That is going to be a task for this country, this Government, and a task for all of us in this House to ensure we deliver on all areas of housing, health, for everyone who comes to our shores."
Mr Smith also queried why there are 31 staff working in the Russian Embassy in Dublin which he described as "a tool of the Russian war effort".
He said the staff numbers compare to the UK where there are 22 staff in the Russian embassy, and ten in Poland, 12 in Germany and 19 in France.
The Taoiseach said that there are six Irish people in the Irish embassy in Moscow and these are needed to meet the needs of and protecting Irish citizens: "Be under no illusion, any action means reciprocal actions on the others side," he said.
'Huge surge' in Irish support for Ukrainian refugees - Minister
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The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has said there has been a huge surge of support from Irish people for Ukrainians coming to Ireland.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Roderic O'Gorman said the Department of Foreign Affairs is in contact with around 50 Irish citizens who are still in Ukraine and is offering them consular support.
"We've had about maybe 2,200 people, Ukrainian refugees, arrive in Ireland since the 26th of February and of those about two-thirds are being housed with family members.
"We are right now looking at sourcing hotel accommodation and we've significantly expanded our capacity of hotel accommodation for [the] short term."
Yesterday, a portal for pledges of accommodation to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion crashed but Minister O'Gorman confirmed that it is back up and running.
He said the Government is looking at a range of accommodation options and "nothing is off the table" in this regard.
"Hotel accommodation is the short-term response, but we recognise that there is going to need to be a long-term response as well.
"So right now, my department is working in conjunction with all other government departments at looking at the range of long-term accommodation options that are open to us."
The minister said checks will be undertaken of all accommodation offers, to ensure that the accommodation is habitable and in terms of where accommodation is shared, that it is safe.
Many of those coming will be "vulnerable" and, he said, authorities will ensure all refugees are safe wherever they stay, and the accommodation offered to them is suitable.
Minister O'Gorman also said Department of Justice officials at Dublin Airport are the contact point for Ukrainians arriving right now and that work is being done by the Department of Social Protection to provide services such as PPS numbers.
The minister said his department is putting a dedicated unit in place, which should be up and running shortly.
He said the Government is working on a comprehensive response to the problem and urged the Irish people to be patient until this work is completed.
Minister O'Gorman said that Ukrainian people who arrive here will be treated as EU citizens with the same rights and entitlements.
He said Ireland's response to the crisis is part of a generous EU response and he is not aware of any direct discussions between the UK and Ireland over concerns that the arrival of Ukrainians here could create a security risk for Britain because of the Common Travel Area.
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Housing and education supports required immediately
Meanwhile, the CEO of the Open Doors Initiative said the very immediate support for Ukrainian refugees arriving in Ireland is for housing, schooling, and childcare if they need to work to support their families.
The Open Doors Initiative works with businesses, NGOs and government to create opportunities for people facing barriers to education and employment.
Jeanne McDonagh said people will need "all the supports that the State can offer - that wrap around supports to get them up and going, to give them safety and to set them on a new life."
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, she said it is going to be a big challenge as this is the largest mass evacuation since World War II.
"A lot of people need to step up, but the Irish are very good at stepping up and they will come together, I think, and work with people to help them at this time".
"Many people evacuated quickly and they haven't brought their references and their college degrees, so they'll also need help training and getting into work culture in Ireland," she added.
St Patrick's Day events to highlight solidarity with Ukraine
The State will use St Patrick's Day events internationally to highlights Ireland's solidarity with Ukraine, the Taoiseach Micheál Martin has told the Dáil.
He said the Government is re-examining the Global Greening programme, which sees buildings around the world illuminated in green, to see if they can include a "Ukrainian theme".
He added that St Patrick's Day speaking events would be used by members of Government to highlight the situation in Ukraine in thirty countries across the world.
The Taoiseach said no Russian or Belarusian representatives will be invited to any official St Patrick's Day events.
He was responding to Independent TD Seán Canney, who called for the Ukrainian flag to be flown along with the Irish flag on St Patrick's Day.
He also called for buildings around the world to be illuminated in Ukrainian colours along with green for St Patrick's Day.
He added that it was important the people Ukraine were "not forgotten about in any part of the world".
Additional reporting Mary Regan, David Murphy
