I welcome to the Gallery guests of Deputy Séamus McGrath from Douglas Young @ Heart who are all here today. I think there are about 32 of them here. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann. I hope they enjoy the day. I would like to say I am sorry about the football result on Sunday but really I am not. I thank them for showing up in such numbers to Killarney because the people of Kerry appreciate their visits down to Kerry. They spend more money than they should but we are very grateful for that.

I see our distinguished guests here, the ambassador, H.E. Cleviston Haynes from Barbados, and the foreign minister, Christopher P. Sinckler. They are very welcome.

Over the last number of days, we have been hearing about the ship MV Hondius. There were two Irish citizens aboard and there has been a lot of debate on the airways about how we get them off, etc. I commend the Taoiseach, the Minister for foreign affairs, the Minister for Health, and the Baldonnel team who brought in the two Irish citizens and got them safely back home. It was a fantastically successful mission and it showed that when we do things right we do them very right. I commend everyone concerned.

I also raise the Government's plan to withdraw accommodation from up to 16,000 Ukrainians currently living in the State. What is the thinking behind that? I realise that we do not have an endless purse and we cannot just keep funding indefinitely but last weekend, a Minister suggested that one or two Ukrainians might end up homeless as a result of these changes. As somebody who is involved in the homeless sector, that comment is something that deeply concerns me. That is certainly not the type of country we want to be seen as. The shots that were fired from Russia are still being fired. Putin has not stopped his war, which was started in February 2022. The families who fled here looking for help because their own homes and towns were destroyed and their lives were threatened, still, undoubtedly, have the same issues. Some people may be in a position whereby they no longer need State support and that is valid. Perhaps the accommodation is only essential for a small number but it still needs to be looked at. Could we perhaps means-test the supports rather than giving a blanket ban? Could we not distinguish between people who can afford accommodation and who can not? There is a better way of dealing with our Ukrainian neighbours, who are defending the borders of Europe, than giving a blanket notice that will push thousands of people into uncertainty, and potentially onto the streets. We have supported the Ukrainians in a wonderful way from day one and I do not want to see, hopefully near the end of the war, that we let our side down. We have always had a pride in ourselves regarding compassion and I want to make sure that pride is continued. I know the ambassador in Ireland, Larysa Gerasko, has been very thankful to the Irish Government, authorities and to the Irish nation for supporting her nation, but we must not let them down now.

Before I call on the next speaker, I welcome Senator The Honourable Christopher Sinckler, Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados.

He is most welcome to Seanad Éireann and I thank him for being here. I also welcome Ms Donna Forde, director general of foreign affairs and foreign trade, Ms Paula Byer, director of foreign trade, Ms Trecia King, senior foreign service officer, and Ms Kendra Holdip, minister counsellor. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann. In 2021, on the day Barbados itself declared a republic, we had quite a debate and sent a letter to the Prime Minister congratulating the country on joining the ranks of the republics. We were slightly ahead of Barbados but we are glad it has joined the ranks of the republics. We are delighted our guests are here to continue to build on the long and historic, some of them quite tragic, links between Ireland and Barbados. As on their visit we glance back to the history shared between us, we are looking forward to building new and better relationships. I thank them for being here.