This week, we heard renewed calls from political leaders in Ukraine asking the EU to freeze Russian assets, seize them and use that funding to support the reconstruction and continuing efforts in Ukraine to repel the vicious war by Russia. These assets stand at approximately €36 billion across the EU, almost €1 billion of which is held in Ireland. What efforts will the Government make to lead the European Union approach to not just freeze these assets but seize them and put them to much more important use?

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. We are all appalled by the scenes we are seeing in Ukraine and the extent to which cities are being pulverised and civilians are being killed and harmed in the way they are. I hope in the not too distant future we will see a ceasefire in Ukraine. That means the killing will stop and reconstruction can begin. I very much agree with the Deputy's sentiments that some of those Russian assets that have been seized should be used to help Ukraine to rebuild.