Families of children medically evacuated from Gaza can also travel to Ireland
The families of children being medevaced from Gaza to Ireland will be able to travel with them, the Government has agreed. Last week it was reported that the transport of at least 18 children previously authorised to come to Ireland had been delayed by reported visa issues, though the Government insisted there is no delay. There was, however, a question around who could travel with the children.The State has agreed to help up to 30 children to leave Gaza. So far, 12 children have been brought to the Republic, in two separate missions.At Cabinet on Tuesday, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill brought a memo which agreed that the remaining paediatric patients to be identified for medical evacuation under the initiative can be accompanied by one or both of the patient’s parents (or the patient’s carer), and the patient’s parents' minor or adult children dependents.The memo also notes that adult family members accompanying paediatric patients evacuated to Ireland under the initiative will be granted Irish residence permission following requests by the health minister to the Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan. The Government also agreed that "alternative, approved evacuation options" through third states be explored and agreed.Last week in the Dáil, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the "indiscriminate killing of children" in Gaza was one of the "appalling aspects of Israel's war on Gaza". He said two of the four planned flights have taken place, with 45 people, including children and their families, having come to Ireland thus far. There "is no delay" and no "bureaucratic wrangling" preventing the transfer of the children. He said the Cabinet memo was "not material" to the next flight and was not needed and there had been no applications for visas under the scheme.Meanwhile, arts minister Patrick O'Donovan also updated Cabinet on RTÉ's progress in implementing the recommendations of two committees established following revelations about presenter payments at the broadcaster.Of 90 recommendations in the governance and culture report, 78 are for RTÉ, 15 for the department, with three for both. By the end of the first quarter of this year, 40 of RTÉ's 78 recommendations are achieved, two were on track, and 36 delayed.All 26 of the recommendations in the HR and fees report are aimed at RTÉ and initial progress reports were limited, prompting a meeting with RTÉ to discuss more detailed reporting.The minister's update said that two recommendations are achieved, 12 are on track, and 12 are delayed.Of the 15 department recommendations from the governance and culture review, seven are addressed through the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill, and one on funding was dealt with last July.
