Aggregated News
The Irish government has expedited plans for families with newborn surrogate babies to travel immediately from Ukraine.
It comes as fears of a Russian invasion of the country intensify.
The situation has been described as "one of the worst security crises in Europe in decades".
A campaign group representing Irish couples whose babies are being born in Ukraine thanked the government for its "intensive work".
It is understood that parents are being given emergency travel documentation so that they can leave Ukraine quickly.
The campaign group, Irish Families Through Surrogacy, said in a statement: "The news that the exit process home for these families has been expedited is extremely welcome.
"We wish the families a safe journey home to Ireland."
The group said it was also thinking of surrogate mothers in Ukraine and their families at this time of "great tension and anguish in Ukraine".
Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said consular officials had been working "intensively" with Irish families and that a number of them were on their way home.