Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To address Deputy Carthy’s point, the numbers are fluid because some may not have registered with the embassy in the first instance. The numbers have increased. In the first evacuation, Irish citizens were probably among the first to be evacuated and 50 left in the first 24 hours of evacuation. As people saw that, more registered. There are now 116. As I said, the situation is fluid. Some are on the move, so I am wary of giving precise figures but close to 100 could still be in Sudan. When I say 116, that involves both citizens and their dependants.

In response to Deputy O’Sullivan, there are existing EU programmes where countries have come together and purchased aircraft. There are memoranda of understanding in regard to utilisation of that capacity and capability. I have asked my officials to explore joining such a programme which would give us access to the utilisation of aircraft in addition to procuring our own strategic capability. I have asked for that to be explored. I am keen that we join such a programme for humanitarian and evacuation purposes.

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, is also creating a crisis centre. That had started prior to this situation and again underlines the European-wide response to this being the best way to do it, just as we did with the vaccines. Europe is better when it pools its resources and works together.

In regard to the families, an issue raised by Deputies Ó Murchú and Moynihan, in situations like this evacuation of citizens and their dependants takes priority. Dependants ordinarily means children and spouses who may not be citizens but they are generally evacuated as well. Those are generally the ground rules that apply to all countries participating in the evacuation. On the issues raised, I fully empathise with Dr. Kheir’s situation. I can fully understand that from a human perspective. There are challenges in terms of how that is organised more broadly in an evacuation context. We are being as flexible as we can be. However, there are challenges to that approach.

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