Colm Brophy

Well, the status of this proposal is there was a sub-cabinet meeting

And we looked at a number of things in that, which were all about moving from and transitioning from the situation we have at the moment, which is temporary protection, and looking at how Ireland would be managing in terms of people, Ukrainians, who are living here with us and going into the years ahead.

So part of that, and it's a proposal that will go to government and the Cabinet will look at it and they will make their decision.

would be to create for the Ukrainian community a number of options.

One of them that you've just mentioned would be this returns option, which would be that for Ukrainians who wanted to go back to Ukraine.

Very important, by the way, to recognise the Ukrainian government is very anxious in supporting this because they want Ukrainian people to return to help with rebuilding the country.

1.2 million Ukrainians have already returned.

But they would receive a payment from Ireland which would enable and facilitate them if they were making a decision to go back to Ukraine.

How much?

That hasn't been decided because where we're at at the initial stage of this is actually looking at the broader brushstrokes of how we would.

So there's three ideas which we're particularly looking at.

There is that returns proposal.

There is also when temporary protection would end.

There's transitioning to Ukrainians having a status, a residency status in Ireland and looking at making that available.

And there will also be a section which we will be working through to ensure that vulnerable Ukrainians also have additional protections if they're staying in the country.

Well, the Ukrainian government believe, and they've been quite clear, that obviously they recognise the context that the war is still going on.

But for the 1.2 million Ukrainians who have returned, they want to start the process, even now, of rebuilding.

And they want to encourage people who feel that they can return safely and who feel that they can contribute to be able to do so.

The Ukrainian government put in place with the European Union the idea of what they call hubs.

And that would be within each EU member state.