Government to charter flight from Middle East for Irish citizens

By Rebecca Black, Press Association

The Government is to charter a flight to assist its citizens in the Middle East.

It comes after several days of escalating tensions and attacks between Iran, Israel and the United States, which has spread to neighbouring nations in the Middle East.

The missiles have also caused major disruption to flights in the region.

The government has estimated that between 22,000 and 23,000 Irish citizens are in the area, and a “relatively low number” have already left.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Helen McEntee, said she hopes the flight from Oman will be the “first of many”.

I am highly aware of the large numbers of Irish citizens in the UAE as the current conflict continues

She told RTÉ that the government will be contacting Irish citizens in the Middle East on Wednesday to travel home on a charter flight for around 280 people.

“The first and the quickest and the best option is still for commercial airlines to bring people home, particularly given so much of our population is in the UAE, is in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and we’ve seen over the last few days a number of flights that have been taking off,” she said.

“Not all of them to the west, many of them are heading east, but on those flights we have Irish people, and we’re engaging directly with those airlines to see if we can we in the coming days, ensure that some of those direct flights are coming to Dublin.”

In a statement, Ms McEntee said the first flight will be targeted at Irish citizens currently in the UAE, particularly those who are non-resident and who are vulnerable.

“I am highly aware of the large numbers of Irish citizens in the UAE as the current conflict continues,” she said.

“In this context, I asked our consular crisis team today to activate plans for an assisted departure.

“Our team will now take the necessary steps to finalise a first government of Ireland charter flight for Irish citizens to depart the region from Oman airport in the coming days, provided security and operational considerations permit.

“This first charter flight will be targeted at Irish citizens currently in the UAE, particularly those who are non-resident, and who are vulnerable and require assistance most urgently.”

She said: “Those citizens requiring the most assistance will be contacted directly by my department in the coming days.

“I would ask for everyone’s patience as our most vulnerable citizens are contacted in this first phase of our response to this crisis.

“We will continue to offer consular assistance to all citizens in the region. All citizens should register with the appropriate embassy if they have not already done so and continue to follow our embassy social media accounts for the latest updates.”

Earlier, Tánaiste Simon Harris said the Government is continuing to monitor the situation globally and any potential impact for Europe.

He said “all options are on the table” to assist Irish citizens who need help out of the region.

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there was “no question” US strikes on Iran took place without a UN mandate, as he called for “de-escalation” and “a return to the negotiating table”.