Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for taking the Adjournment. First, I pay tribute to the more than 40 Irish humanitarian agencies that work with children in Belarus in the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. On 25 and 26 April 1986, the world's worst nuclear power accident occurred in Chernobyl in the former USSR. The accident killed more than 30 people immediately and as a result of high radiation levels in the surrounding 20-mile radius, 135,000 people were evacuated. Unfortunately, the Belarusian Government has announced restrictions on travel visas for children travelling to Ireland for rest and recuperation. These children come to Ireland to live with host families twice yearly, three months in summer and one month at Christmas. Since there is significant concern they will not be able to travel for Christmas, I hope the Minister will have news in that regard. The trip gives their immune systems a chance to recover from radiation and the children, mostly orphans, receive tender love and care from their adoptive families.

Further complicating the issue is the matter of a bilateral agreement on child care sought by the Belarusian Government last year which still has not been completed by the Department of Foreign Affairs. This agreement needs to be handled immediately as the repercussions of tardiness may have terrible implications for the children of Belarus travelling to Ireland. The responsibility for this agreement lies with the Minister's Department. Without it, families are unable to progress any further on the problem of travel restrictions. It is imperative that the issue be resolved in the next two weeks to allow at least some of the children visit their Irish families for Christmas.

Let us be under no illusion. Unless the child care agreement is finalised, children from Belarus will not be allowed to travel to Ireland again. The document has been awaiting completion in the Department since April 2007. The Government must not miss this opportunity as it may not get another. A similar opportunity in respect of adoptions was missed some years ago, since when there have been no adoptions between Belarus and Ireland. The restrictions imposed are that no child over the age of 14 will take part in the rest and recuperation programme and no child will travel more than three times in his or her lifetime to any one country.

It is important that the bilateral agreement be signed and sealed by the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Health and Children immediately. Failure to comply with the agreement will most certainly seal the fate of the Chernobyl children as it is highly unlikely that Ireland will get any second chance in this regard.

On 13 October, the President of the Republic of Belarus signed a decree introducing amendments and additions to another decree on children's recuperation abroad on the basis of foreign aid, which was issued on 18 February 2004. The President's press service states that, according to the decree, Belarusian organisations will be entitled to send children for recuperation to the foreign countries with which Belarus has concluded international agreements with the provision of government guarantees of safe stay and scheduled returns. Such an agreement has only been concluded with Italy.

While agreements are being negotiated, Belarus permits foreign health promotion trips of special groups formed of children who cannot go abroad in regular groups because of document supported medical contra-indications. The new decree establishes age limits and restrictions on the number of visits to a single country. From now on, recuperation abroad is only available to children of up to 14 years of age and they can go to the same country no more than three times.

The Council of the Republic of Belarus has approved the ratification of the Belarusian-ltalian agreement stipulating terms and conditions on recuperation holidays. I urge the Government to sign a similar agreement with Belarus.

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