John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 410: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position with regard to bringing children from Chernobyl to Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39610/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As I mentioned in answer to questions on Wednesday 29 October, once I became aware of possible restrictions on the children's travel, I met with Adi Roche of Chernobyl Children's Project International on 8 September to review the situation, and also asked the Chargé d'Affaires of the Belarusian Embassy in London to visit Dublin later that week to open discussions on an agreement to provide a framework for visits by Chernobyl children.

Following intensive discussions at official level, a draft Agreement was forwarded to the Belarusian authorities on 6 October. On 13 October, I discussed progress at a meeting with Belarusian Foreign Minister Martynov and expressed the Government's strong hope that — even if negotiations with the Belarusian Government were not fully concluded — Christmas visits by the Chernobyl children to Ireland should be allowed to go ahead. A Belarus response to the draft agreement, requesting further information, was received by my Department on 16 October.

Separately, Ireland's Ambassador to Minsk was notified by the Belarusian authorities on 16 October that a Presidential Decree had been signed on 13 October relating to travel by Belarusian children overseas. Given its potential impact on future visits by children from Chernobyl, and following further consultations with Adi Roche and other Chernobyl NGOs, it was decided to deal with the issues arising through our proposed draft agreement. On 24 October, this approach was conveyed to the Belarusian authorities.

A reply has been promised to Ireland's Ambassador on this and is still awaited. Officials remain in constant contact with their Belarusian opposite numbers and an Irish delegation is ready to visit Minsk at short notice with the intention, depending on the Belarusian response, of quickly concluding an agreement which will allow the visits to continue. I am also remaining in very close touch with developments on an issue that is of course of considerable concern to many Irish charities and to individual families, and I am ready to intervene again personally if necessary.