The Irish government is expected to approve an extra €125m (£110m) in supports for Ukraine in a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning.It comes after the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Dublin in the Republic of Ireland for an official one-day visit.He and the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, were greeted on Dublin Airport’s runway by Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin and Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs Thomas Byrne.Martin said he was “honoured” to welcome the president and first lady. Irish ministers are set to sign off on an extra €100m (£88m) in funding for non-lethal military support for Ukraine and a further €25m (£22m) for the country’s urgent energy needs.The proposals will be brought to the meeting, which is taking place in Dublin, by Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Helen McEntee.McEntee will also propose Ireland’s participation in an International Claims Commission for Ukraine.The commission will be responsible for determining claims for damage, loss or injury caused by Russian internationally wrongful acts committed by the Russian federations against Ukraine, an Irish government source said. More than 120,000 Ukrainian refugees have sought refugee status in Ireland since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022.Some have returned and about 80,000 are estimated to be still living in Ireland.
Ukrainian refugee Uriivna Olena is one of a group of women who attend Ukrainian Mass every Sunday in north Dublin and prays for the war to end.The women are hopeful peace talks currently under way will be successful to end the war.”We go every Sunday to church to pray and we pray for children, for humans, for soldiers, for all of people and we wish war would end soon,” she told BBC News NI after a Mass service finished last Sunday.”It’s very hard for us.” “All of us are paying for peace in Ukraine. We hope that this terrible war is finally ended,” said Tetiana Bilous, who is also a Ukrainian refugee.She said the war starting has been “very difficult” and “understanding someone can have aggression against us, we are just people, citizens.””We were living a normal life and suddenly everything was interrupted, everything was ended.”Ms Bilous said she is very grateful for the support from Ireland. Mykhaylo Fedynshyn has been living in Ireland for more than 20 years and he also attended Mass.”My relatives still work in Ukraine and I hope they will get back to normal life, as it was before the war.
So no missile, no sirens, no explosions.”He said he is hopeful peace talks would be successful.”[I am hopeful] because Ukrainian people fighting so hard for independence, for freedom, so it has to be ended at some stage. But I believe it will be in Ukrainian favour, we will get the victory over our enemy.” An Garda Síochána (Irish police) said those travelling to Dublin Airport, should allow additional time to arrive at the airport due to possible rolling road closures, particularly on Tuesday evening.Traffic restrictions will be in place on:Chesterfield Avenue, Phoenix Park from approximately 10:00 local time until about 13:00Kildare Street, Merrion Street, Merrion Square and the vicinity of Government Buildings and Leinster House from 11:00Stephens Green South, Stephens Green East and Leeson Street from 15:30The public can also expect localised road closures to facilitate events and temporary rolling road closures to facilitate security escorts over the course of Tuesday.
