Jim O'Callaghan

Are you in favour of it?

I am in favour of providing assistance to people who want to return to Ukraine.

Like, we look at it here, Ukrainians have made a very good contribution here.

But like from the other side of it, from the Ukrainian side, their population has been very significantly affected by it.

They want their people back to rebuild their country.

And I suppose what everyone in Europe wants to see is the war ended, Ukraine to go back to peace and people to be able to return to their homeland.

I haven't.

But like, you know, from the voluntary return scheme and international protection that there are payments available to assist people to go out.

I would have thought in the context of international protection, it is more difficult to persuade people to go back because a lot of the people who came returned.

through international protection and who have been told they can't stay, are people who came here for economic reasons and there's a desire to stay here.

People did leave Ukraine because of the war.

That's clearly the case.

And I think probably if the war ends and things settle down, that then it'll be easier for people to repatriate themselves back to Ukraine.

There will be, of course.

And this system operates in terms of the international protection system.

People, if they are put out of the country, they're not allowed to return.

And also in terms of any payments.

And I'm talking about small payments here.

Payments will be made only on their arrival back in the country.

Well, you are not going to have a situation where somebody has come to Ireland, has benefited from temporary protection.