James Cox A group working with Irish couples involved in surrogacy in Ukraine says many are struggling with their decision on whether to travel to the country. Irish Families Through Surrogacy says 14 Irish couples are awaiting the birth of their baby in Ukraine in the coming weeks. The Department of Foreign Affairs says it is in direct contact with all of those who are scheduled to travel to Ukraine for surrogacy purposes, after it urged people to leave the country immediately. IFTS spokesperson Catherine Wheatley, said they're working closely with the Government to support expectant surrogate parents. Ms Wheatley told Newstalk: "At the end of the day, us here in Irish Families Through Surrogacy, we're urging everybody to follow the Department's advice which is not to travel. "But of course when we break it down to the human element, these are people's babies, this is their family, what we're trying to do, if couple's make that decision, is to make sure we have a robust support team in place to make sure they have the best possible supports for themselves and their child while they're over there."

Travel advice

In a statement on Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said: “Since the travel advice for Ukraine was upgraded, the number of Irish citizens registered with our embassy in Kyiv has, as expected, been increasing. “The number of Irish citizens registered with the embassy currently stands at 145 and this number may rise further over the coming days. “The Embassy of Ireland in Kyiv is in ongoing contact with all registered Irish citizens and has advised them to leave Ukraine immediately. “A number of commercial flight options continue to be available and it is also possible to depart the country overland to neighbouring EU states.” The statement said the department is “in direct contact with all of those scheduled to travel to Ukraine for surrogacy purposes”.