Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

377. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if consular assistance is being provided to Irish citizens in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine; if any Irish citizens in Russia have sought advice from his Department or embassies; and if there are plans to issue advice regarding travel to Russia. [51731/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Department of Foreign Affairs is closely monitoring the situation in Russia in consultation with the Embassy of Ireland in Moscow. The Department currently advises against all travel to Russia. The security status of our travel advice for Russia was raised to ‘Do not travel’, the Department’s highest level of warning, on 28 February 2022.

On 7 March 2022, Irish citizens in Russia were advised to carefully consider their presence in Russia and those who wished to leave were advised to do so as quickly as possible. On 7 April 2022, two diplomats from the Embassy of Ireland were instructed to leave Russia. This has limited the ability of the Embassy to provide services and assistance to Irish citizens in Russia.

In light of ongoing developments, the Department’s advice to citizens was further strengthened on 14 April 2022, when Irish citizens in Russia were advised to carefully consider the necessity of their continued stay, and to make plans to leave.

Irish citizens currently in Russia are advised to be vigilant about their own safety and to avoid mass gatherings, including protests or demonstrations. Citizens should be aware that new laws that affect media freedom of expression can be used to impose severe and arbitrary sentences. Irish citizens should be mindful this includes posting or sharing banned content on social media.

We also recommend that Irish citizens should be mindful that increasingly severe limitations on banking, including the withdrawal of Visa and Mastercard services, may directly affect their ability to access their money for the foreseeable future.

Any Irish citizens remaining in Russia are recommended to register their details with our Embassy in Moscow, and they can contact the Embassy should they require assistance. The Embassy will continue to maintain contact with citizens remaining in Russia and to provide consular assistance, where requested and appropriate. The Embassy currently has reduced capacity to provide support in crisis scenarios, particularly for citizens situated far from Moscow.

The Department’s travel advice for Russia is set out on the following website:

www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/a-z-list-of-countries/russian-federation/.