Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 May 2026
225. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether the privileges and immunities provided to the International Claims Commission for Ukraine and its personnel will apply in any way within Irish jurisdiction in respect of legal proceedings or claims involving Irish citizens or businesses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39025/26]
View answer238. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the estimated total cost to the Irish taxpayer of Ireland’s participation in or support for the International Claims Commission for Ukraine; the source of funding for any such contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39019/26]
View answer239. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether a full Dáil debate and vote will be held prior to any further Irish financial or material commitments related to the International Claims Commission for Ukraine or associated reparation mechanisms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39020/26]
View answer240. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will provide a detailed breakdown of any projected or committed Exchequer funding, directly or indirectly, to the International Claims Commission for Ukraine or the related Register of Damage under the provisions of S.I. No. 190 of 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39021/26]
View answer241. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her views on whether granting privileges and immunities to the International Claims Commission for Ukraine under S.I. No. 190 of 2026 could have implications for Ireland’s energy security or fuel costs, given the ongoing global impacts of the conflict; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39022/26]
View answer242. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the Government has conducted a cost-benefit analysis of involvement in international mechanisms such as the International Claims Commission for Ukraine. [39023/26]
View answer243. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of Irish personnel, diplomats or officials who will be involved in or protected under the privileges and immunities granted to the International Claims Commission for Ukraine; the associated costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39024/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 225, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242 and 243 together.
Ireland has consistently condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as an act of unprovoked and unjustified aggression.
The Convention Establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine is a key step towards delivering accountability for the damage and destruction caused by Russia through its unprovoked and unjustified full-scale invasion of its neighbour.
The International Claims Commission for Ukraine will be an administrative body set up within the framework of the Council of Europe that examines claims for compensation of damage, loss or injury due to internationally wrongful acts that have been committed by the Russian Federation in Ukraine or against Ukraine.
It will determine whether compensation is due and how much, if any, is due. However, the Commission will not itself be responsible for paying out any compensation.
In this way, the Claims Commission will be the second of three components of a broader compensation mechanism. The first component was the establishment of a Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which was set up in 2023. Its operation will transfer to the Claims Commission after it is established. The Register and the Commission form the backdrop to a third possible part of that mechanism, which would be a compensation fund to meet these claims.
Ratification of the Convention does entail any obligation on Ireland to provide compensation. Rather, Ireland’s participation in the Convention will entail a proportionate annual contribution towards the operational costs of the Commission. It is too soon to say precisely what that will be, but it is expected to be less than €1 million per year, depending on membership and operational scale. It is expected to be funded through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as a contribution to international organisations.
This contribution would only start after the Convention has come into force, which will happen after 25 countries, or regional integration organisations, have ratified it and when the associated financial commitments are enough to support the initial work of the Commission.
It should also be noted that in the event of the Russian Federation becoming a Member of the Convention, the Convention provides that it shall bear the costs of the Commission from its entry into force. The Convention also expressly provides for the expectation that the Russian Federation will fund the compensation determined and awarded by the Commission and that other Commission members will not be required to fund the compensation.
If an international agreement involves a charge upon public funds within the meaning of Article 29.5.2° of the Constitution, its terms require Dáil approval before it may be ratified by Ireland. Following a debate on 6 May, the Dáil approved the terms of this Convention and Ireland deposited its instrument of ratification with the Council of Europe on 15 May.
Article 6 of the Convention sets out the privileges and immunities applicable to the Commission, its offices, the Executive Director, other members of the Secretariat, and experts engaged by the Commission, in the exercise of their functions. These privileges and immunities are in line with those provided for other comparable bodies and persons. S.I. No. 190/2026, entitled International Claims Commission for Ukraine (Privileges and Immunities) Order 2026, accords, in Irish law, the relevant privileges and immunities set out in the Convention.
The Commission will have its seat in The Hague in the Netherlands. The number of Irish personnel, diplomats or officials who may be involved in the work of the Commission is not yet known as the Commission itself is yet to be established.
