Minister for Justice looking to extend protection for Ukrainians in Ireland

Kenneth Fox

Justice Minister Helen McEntee is to seek Cabinet approval to extend temporary protection until March 2025 to Ukrainians who have fled war and arrived in Ireland.

As the Irish Examiner reports, the Government had already extended the protection until March next year, but due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, Ms McEntee is seeking to extend it again.

Also at Cabinet, Tánaiste Micheál Martin is to publish the defence strategy framework which he committed to developing when the Independent Review Group (IRG) report came out earlier this year.

The plan is to create one overall strategic framework for the transformation of the Defence Forces and bring together the immediate actions needed to create a Defence Forces fit for purpose to meet current and future challenges.

The first phase of transformation concentrates on culture, including new governance and reporting mechanisms.

It lists actions to be taken by the end of 2024, based on a number of reports, including that of the IRG, which examined systems and procedures for dealing with matters relating to bullying, harassment, and sexual harassment in the Defence Forces.

Separately, Minister for Children, Roderic O’Gorman will bring a memo to Cabinet noting the establishment of an administrative scheme to allow family members connected with Tuam mother and baby home to submit a DNA sample voluntarily, ahead of the excavation and exhumation of the site.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, meanwhile, will bring a memo warning Cabinet colleagues about a €14 billion deficit in the National Development Plan and that as a result, there will need to be a deprioritisation of some key infrastructure projects.