Foreign Affairs steps up its travel warning for Tunisia
TOURISTS who are in Tunisia or planning to go there on holidays have been told by the Foreign Affairs Minister to ‘ think long and hard’ about it.
Charlie Flanagan has urged all Irish citizens travelling in Tunisia to return home and those with holiday plans to cancel them as the Department of Foreign Affairs changed its travel advice to the second-highest status on their five-point warning scale.
It came after three Irish citizens died last month in a massacre in the Tunisian resort of Sousse which was allegedly coordinated by Islamist terror group the Islamic State.
The attack left 38 people dead – including three Irish people, Lorna Carty from Co. Meath, and Laurence and Martina Hayes from Athlone, Co. Westmeath.
Now the Government has changed its travel advice, telling would-be holidaymakers in relation to the north African country, ‘Avoid nonessential travel’. The ruling is just one step below the severest ‘Do not travel’ designation.
Speaking yesterday, Mr Flanagan said he did not have any information to suggest that a specific attack was imminent, but said that he felt it was essential to upgrade the travel warning.
It came after UK foreign secretary Philip Hammond warned that a ‘further terrorist attack is highly likely.’ Mr Hammond warned that more needed to be done to ensure that tourist areas are properly protected from such attacks.
Mr Flanagan said: ‘Like Philip Hammond I don’t have any specific information as to a threat but I do believe it is essential that we upgrade our advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs to those people intending to travel to Tunisia and we are advising against any nonessential travel.
‘I am encouraging any Irish visitors who may be in Tunisia to review whether their presence is essential and to make early arrangements to leave. It is important that our travel advice be reviewed on a continuous basis and that is what we are doing.
‘We are very much aware that a British team conducted a security-based review on the matter of their travel advice. We were informed of the outcome of that review so we took account of this in the forming of our own decision this morning.’
He said that for those in Tunisia hearing his warning, the airport remains open and there are still commercial flights operating.
He said that there are also around 50 residents there who hold dual citizenship and more besides working in Tunisia some of whom have businesses there.
While commercial flights are still operating, Mr Flanagan said many holiday charters are being discontinued.
‘For anyone thinking of going there my advice is think long and hard about it. I would ask anyone (in Tunisia) to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs, and that anyone who intends to stay as well register without delay.’
It emerged last weekend that the three Irish people who were killed knew one another and had socialised together in Sousse.
Speaking at his wife Lorna’s funeral, Declan Carty recalled how the couple had met Athlone husband and wife Martina and Larry Hayes.
Speaking at his wife’s graveside – which overlooks the home they shared in Robinstown, Co. Meath, with their 21-year- old son Simon and 18-year-old daughter Hazel, Mr Carty said: ‘We met Larry and Martina a few times over there… we met Larry and Martina walking along the beach and started talking.
‘I wish the Hayes family the best of luck in the future.’
Then recalling the hours after his childhood sweetheart was murdered, Mr Carty said: ‘I was sitting on a balcony in the early hours with a head full of rage and a broken heart.
‘I was thinking of Lorna, Simon and Hazel. Lorna was the love of my life and best friend.
‘Then I saw the rising sun and it was reddening and I thought of Lorna and the way she brightened up my and everyone else’s days.’
‘Think long and hard’ before trip