Irish advised to consider leaving affected areas

FOREIGN AFFAIRS:IRISH CITIZENS have been advised to consider leaving the northeast of Japan and the Tokyo region.

The advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs was accompanied by a warning to Irish people “to avoid non-essential travel to Japan, including Tokyo, and to avoid all travel to the affected areas in the northeastern part of the main Honshu island”.

In a statement yesterday the department said the advice was in the context of the situation at Fukushima nuclear power plant, “including the disruption to the supply of essential goods and services”.

It said citizens who choose to depart were being advised to use commercial air transport or, if they intend to remain elsewhere in Japan, local train and bus services.

The Irish Embassy in Tokyo is assisting Irish citizens in making reservations. Both the Embassy and the Consular Crisis Centre in Dublin said they had not been informed of anyone being unable to leave.

“Should anybody be in that position, or know of anyone in that position, they should immediately contact the Embassy or the department’s Consular Crisis Centre,” the statement said.

The department said it was aware that a number of Irish citizens had opted to remain in the Tokyo region. The Embassy would continue to support citizens who remained.