Govt close to a deal with Belarus on Chernobyl children

The Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has said an agreement to end the travel ban on children affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster could be concluded within the week.

Irish charities have been bringing hundreds of children to this country for a holiday every year since the early 1990s.

However, during the summer the Belarus authorities imposed a ban on all such overseas visits.

Minister Micheál Martin said that the Government is working hard to get a resolution to the issue and the text of an agreement is close to being finalised.