Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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582. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the international measures he is taking to enhance the protection of Irish football fans who will be travelling to France in June 2016 to watch Ireland in the UEFA European Championship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9678/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Government is acutely conscious of the safety and security issues associated with such a major event. My Department is therefore actively engaging with the authorities in France and other key stakeholders in order that all appropriate measures are taken to ensure that Irish citizens are safe. The primary responsibility, of course, for the security of visitors in France lies with the local police services, and we know that the French authorities are taking this very seriously.

Since the terrorist attacks of 13 November in Paris, a state of emergency has been in force in the country and very stringent security measures are in place. Our Ambassador in Paris and her team are maintaining close contact with UEFA and the relevant French national and local authorities in relation to all aspects of planning and preparations for the tournament, including facilities for visiting fans.

My Department is working closely on planning and preparations with the FAI, the Garda Síochána and travel industry representatives. A programme of measures is in place in the Department’s Consular Division and the Embassy in Paris, including additional staff resources and specialised training for relevant staff, in order to enhance our consular assistance capacity. Officials from the reinforced Embassy team will be on the ground in Paris, Bordeaux and Lille in order to provide advice and emergency consular assistance to Irish citizens as required.

It is also very important to communicate key information and messages to the travelling fans so that they can better inform themselves and minimise any risks of inconvenience or distress. To this end, on 18 April, I announced our ‘First Eleven’ Travel Tips for Irish supporters, including advice about passports, security and safety, and local laws and conditions. The full text can be found at .I encourage all citizens travelling to France to read these tips, check their passports are in date and arrange comprehensive travel insurance before they depart. Also, I would urge all travelling fans to register their details on our Citizens’ Registration facility, also available through our website - - and to pay close attention to updates to the travel advice on the website.