Ireland may take in far more people fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine than the 20,000 predicted by Simon Coveney yesterday.

The top civil servants in all Government departments met today to discuss plans for the arrival of thousands of people from Ukraine.

Minister from key departments are due to meet tomorrow to begin 'scenario planning’ – with Irish people likely to be asked to open up their homes to accommodate people arriving.

Yesterday, the Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said as many as 20,000 people could arrive in Ireland in the coming weeks.

Speaking this afternoon however, the Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was “very possible” that Ireland could be asked to take in 'multiples' of that figure.

“It is very hard to be definitive,” he said.

“As you say, it has moved very rapidly. I think we are at about 836,000 refugees - according to the UN - that have now left Ukraine.

“Half of those have gone to Poland and we will play our part. There was meeting today of all Secretary Generals of Government departments and tomorrow we will convene a meeting of ministers in key departments to start scenario planning.”

Family homes

He said people all over the country would have to step in and help.

“It will be at a scale and at a level that we will require volunteers and people in civil society to work with us to help the people of Ukraine when they come here,” he said.

“Or indeed through NGOs and civil society organisations on the ground, along the border for example, to provide assistance. That is where our funding will go, predominantly, in the first instance.”

Scale

He said there are already families preparing to take people in when they arrive – but warned that “everything depends on the scale of what happens”.

“I mean, so far, we haven’t seen huge numbers coming in,” he said.

“Everything depends on the numbers coming in in terms of the response. Certainly, there are families here already - Ukrainian families - and people here who want to help but yes, predominantly the State will have to work to secure accommodation and structure it as best we can.”

"Illegal, unjustified and unprovoked"

Earlier this evening, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn the “illegal, unjustified and unprovoked” Russian invasion and urge Moscow to withdraw its troops.

The draft resolution, which was sponsored by Ireland and almost 100 other countries, was adopted by a total of 141 countries.

Four other countries - including Belarus and North Korea - gave Russia their support.

In a statement, the Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said Ireland sponsored similar motion in UN Security council which was vetoes by Russia.

“I am pleased that the General Assembly has acted today, where the Security Council has failed,” he said.

At least 2,000 civilians are known to have died during the conflict.