Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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171. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the coming to power of the Houthi group in Yemen; if there are any Irish citizens in Yemen; if consular assistance has been provided to these Irish citizens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7477/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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At the Foreign Affairs Council on 9 February, I and my EU colleagues expressed our grave concern at recent developments in Yemen, including the seizure of control in Sana'a by Houthi militia and the consequent collapse of the transitional national government. The Council called for the release from house arrest of the former President and Ministers, who have all resigned. Yemen urgently needs an end to political violence and the restoration of a central government which can command wide support and attempt to rule on behalf of all Yemenis. The Council expressed EU support for UN efforts to resume an inclusive dialogue among the various political forces.

My Department's travel advice for Yemen, accessible on , advises Irish citizens against travel to Yemen. Through our on-line citizens' registration facility we are aware of a very small number of Irish citizens there, working with international aid agencies, who we can keep in contact with as needs be. However, the Consular Assistance Section in my Department is not currently dealing with any requests for consular assistance from Irish citizens in Yemen. Any Irish citizen who wishes to request consular assistance can contact the Consular Assistance Section of my Department at 01 408 2000.