Taoiseach did not 'get into' UK concerns over Ireland's open door policy on Ukrainian refugees
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The Taoiseach says he did not "get into" UK concerns over Ireland's open door policy on Ukrainian refugees in a meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday.
Micheál Martin held a bilateral meeting with Mr Johnson ahead of Ireland's rugby victory over England at Twickenham but told the BBC that Mr Johnson had not raised concerns that the Irish-UK Common Travel Area could lead to refugees bypassing UK border checks.
Reports in English media during the week suggested the UK Cabinet had voiced concern that the Irish border would be used to enter the mainland UK.
However, Mr Martin this morning told the BBC that he and Mr Johnson did not discuss the issue. He said that Mr Johnson had praised Ireland's humanitarian approach, which he said had seen 5,500 Ukrainians come to the country already.
Mr Martin said that this approach was based on "huge empathy for what we're seeing on our screens" as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues.
"The humanitarian response trumps anything as far as we're concerned," he said, adding that Ireland maintains border checks but is quickly allowing those fleeing the war to access Irish social protection.
"We can all see the humanitarian crisis and we do know that can be exploited by certain bad actors, but we will use our security personnel to keep an eye on that."
Furthermore, the Taoiseach says he will consider personally taking in Ukrainian refugees.
Micheál Martin has interests in a number of properties including the family home, a holiday home and an apartment in Dublin.
Mr Martin said that he was not privy to any conversation between British Home Secretary Priti Patel and Justice Minister Helen McEntee but said that Mr Johnson's "only impulse" was to praise the Irish approach.
"We didn't get into the security issues."
Mr Martin told the broadcaster that taking up to 100,000 or more refugees would be "logistically challenging".
"This is something that Ireland has never experienced on this scale before but we believe that we need to do it. This is a battle between democracy and authoritarianism, fundamentally."
He said that the challenge would "stretch the budgetary framework". On Irish neutrality, Mr Martin reiterated his stance that Ireland is not neutral in the war in Ukraine.
He said that "what Ireland does best is peacekeeping and humanitarian support".