Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 1042: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the plans he has to seek to have the ban on Belarussian children visiting Ireland lifted; the further plans he has to negotiate a special agreement with the Belarussian Government similar to the agreement reached between Belarus and Italy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29927/08]

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 1045: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the plans he has to support the Chernobyl Children's request to remain here for respite. [30092/08]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 1046: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the obstacles that have arisen in respect of children from Belarus coming here as part of the Chernobyl Project; the steps that have been taken to resolve the difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30113/08]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 1053: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his recent discussions with the Belarussian authorities regarding a possible threat to children from Belarus travelling to Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30591/08]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 1058: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the situation regarding the travel ban initiated by the authorities in Belarus preventing children from travelling here for medical treatment and holidays; the steps he is taking to work with the Belarussian authorities to resolve the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30794/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1042, 1045, 1046, 1053 and 1058 together.

Ireland has a long tradition, dating back 17 years, of hosting children from Belarus for holiday periods with the agreement of the Belarussian authorities. Ireland can be proud of this generous response to those affected by the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. I warmly commend the various charities and host families for their tireless work on behalf of the children from the affected area. As the mark of the Government's support for the work of the Chernobyl Children's Project International, Irish Aid committed €600,000 over three years in March 2008 for the development of day care centres in Belarus. More recently, on my instructions, the Irish ambassador to Moscow, who is also accredited to Minsk, travelled to the Belarussian capital on 9 September to register with the Belarussian authorities the Government's concern about the suspension of the visits by children from Belarus to Ireland. In addition, at my invitation, the chargé d'affaires of the embassy of the Republic of Belarus travelled to Dublin on 11 September to discuss with me ways of overcoming the suspension. The chargé d'affaires also met officials from my Department and the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

Following contact with my colleagues, the Attorney General and the Minister of State with responsibility for children and youth affairs, I instructed officials in my Department to start immediate negotiations with the Belarussian authorities on an international agreement on the recuperation of Belarussian children in Ireland. I am confident that it will be possible to conclude negotiations on this agreement quickly despite differences in the legal and administrative systems in Ireland and Belarus. In the meantime, I have conveyed to the Government of Belarus our strong hope that, while negotiations are continuing, it can agree to allow the visits by the children from Chernobyl to go ahead next Christmas.