International Protection
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-14
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Jim O'Callaghan (FF), Dublin Bay South

As the Deputy knows, temporary protection will continue until March 2027. A decision will have to be made by the European Council in respect of what will happen after that. My view is that it will likely be extended, but on a restricted basis. In terms of what the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, and I are doing, the proposals which we have outlined and which will hopefully be confirmed by Cabinet on Tuesday week will provide an opportunity for people to transition to other legal statuses before the end of temporary protection. We are also recognising that, in fact, very many of the Ukrainian people here will want to go back to Ukraine. We want to facilitate their reintegration. That is something that is being sought by the Ukrainian Government as well. We will also ensure that information is provided to displaced people and that there is co-ordination, monitoring and exchange of information between member states and with the Ukrainian authorities. Nothing is going to be done on a cliff-edge basis. There will be adequate notice provided to individuals. The very generous response from Ireland to date in terms of people availing of temporary protection will continue, but we need to taper off measures and support provided.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-14/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:56+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-14