Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said “we’re all realists” when he was asked if Russian spies were operating in Ireland.
It comes after Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said although there are currently no plans to expel the Russian Ambassador to Ireland, there is the possibility that other Russian diplomats and operatives in Ireland might be expelled in the coming days.
When asked if this was Minister Coveney admitting that there may be Russian spies in Dublin, Mr Martin said: “I’m not going to make comments in that regard but I think we’re all realists in the world.”
Mr Martin also ruled out Ireland acting alone and expelling the Russian ambassador to Ireland, Yuriy Filatov.
He explained: “Diplomatic channels are important.. the key one that we have capacity to help out Irish citizens in different locations across the world, not least in Moscow and also to have a good sense of insight and informed sense of what’s happening in the key capitals.
“We don’t quite know for certain how this crisis will unfold so keeping channels open, gives us an extra capacity to help Irish citizens who could be in difficulty or family members of Ukrainian-Irish citizens now who live in Ireland.
“It’s extremely important we retain that.”
Mr Martin “unity” was important in a powerful response to the Russian Federation.
He added: “Individual states doing things individually does not have the same impact ..to be blunt.
“I’ve been very strong .. that we work with European partners within the European Union itself.
“I think we should also acknowledge that the European Union has responded with remarkable solidarity, remarkable speed and determination to impose sanctions that are at an unprecedented level.”
He said he understood the anger towards Mr Filatov, whose “public presentations have not been good and people in Ireland don’t like that…we’re not going to war one week and war happens another day later and that’s on our bulletins, that doesn’t sit well with people.”
The Taoiseach also said he would not be encouraging Irish citizens to go and fight in Ukraine.
It comes after British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said she supports individuals from the UK who might want to go to Ukraine to join an international force to fight.
Mr Martin said: “I think my own view is, and we need to be cautious in terms of any advice we give to individuals in terms of their respective lives and how they respond to situations like this.
“I think from the Irish perspective, the strongest humanitarian support we can give, we will give.
“I think it’s important in a military situation that people are trained and so forth and have experience.
“I am certainly not going to be encouraging people to take decisions of that kind.”
When asked about the economic impact the Russian invasion on Ukraine will have on Ireland, the Taoiseach said there will be an impact on food and energy.
Speaking to reporters in Dublin on Monday, he said: “We don’t have huge exports with Russia so it won’t be as great as other countries that have a stronger trading relationship.
“I do think we’ll see the manifestation of it in terms of energy prices and we’ll have to watch the food situation as well.
“It will have a destabilising impact on the overall European and global economy and given we are an exporting nation, it will have some impacts on some sectors as well.”
When asked how many refugees Ireland will take in from Ukraine, Mr Martin said: “We haven’t set limits to that and I think given the enormity of the numbers, I think half a million have left Ukraine already.
“I know the Polish, Hungarians and others will be at the frontline of that.
“We will provide whatever supports we can.
“Many Ukrainian families are here and I think many would take families in, in Ireland.
“There will be a structured refugee programme but in addition to that, I think we have to be innovative and responsive in the short term to facilitating families who need to be settled here, to come in and have peace and calm, critically for the families and the children in particular.”
The Taoiseach said it was “extremely reckless and irresponsible” of Vladimir Putin to threaten any nuclear action after Putin ordered that Russia's nuclear deterrent forces be put on high alert.
He said: “Dialogue is the only way to resolve this.
“I would call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to the violence, the humanitarian toll is mounting, there’s too much loss of life already, too many people have been injured.”
