Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will make an historic address in Leinster House on Wednesday morning.
The entire Dáil and Seanad of 159 TDs and 60 Senators will pack into the Dáil chamber and gallery to hear the heroic President make his address via videolink from his home country.
There will also be members of the Ukrainian community in the Dáil’s public gallery at what is sure to be a moving and emotional event for them.
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And there will also be representatives from 45 other countries who have diplomatic missions based in Ireland who have answered invitations to come to Leinster House for the speech.
The Russian Ambassador, Yury Filatov, was invited as a matter of protocol, but he will not be there as the Russian embassy never responded to the invitation.
President Zelenskyy’s address comes the day after he delivered a powerful speech to the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday.
He told the global community that Russia was committing the “most terrible war crimes” since World War II in Ukraine.
Russia is a full member of the UN Security Council and Ireland is a temporary member.
Formal addresses to the joint Houses of the Oireachtas are special occasions in Leinster House.
They are normally reserved for world leaders, with Nelson Mandela, Tony Blair and John F Kennedy among the famous names that have made these addresses in the past.
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