Ursula Von der Leyen has heaped praise on the Irish people for their “outstanding” kindness and hospitality in accepting tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees.
She said she wanted to thank the many families for “opening their hearts and their homes.”
The EU President was speaking outside Government Buildings where she was greeted on arrival in Dublin by Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
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Ms Von der Leyen and Mr Martin both addressed the media with the President also predicting that the Government’s commitment to renewable energy could soon see us become a “clean energy superpower.”
Ms Von der Leyen is in Ireland on an official two day visit, with highlights of her trip to include a historic address to a joint session of the Dáil and Seanad in Leinster House and a call to President Michale D Higgins in Aras an Uachtarain.
In her remarks on the steps of Government Buildings, she said: “We are in difficult times because Russia unleashed an atrocious war against Ukraine.
“And first and foremost I want to thank the Irish people for opening their hearts and their homes to Ukrainian refugees.
“This is outstanding.”
Ms Von der Leyen added about the move away from fossil fuels to renewables: “We are working very closely together first of all to diversify away from Russian fossil fuels, with success.
“We have saved a lot of energy, we have filled our storages, so we are safe for the winter.
“But of course there needs to be an answer for the mid and long term.
“And here I want to underline how impressive the Irish investment in renewable energy is.
“You are on the best way (SIC) to becoming a clean energy superpower in the European Union.”
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