Chernobyl Children group to arrive today

Chernobyl Children International will be welcoming a group of children for their summer break in Ireland today.

The children from Belarus will arrive in Shannon Airport this evening.

It has been almost 30 years since the disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

Children from impoverished backgrounds and state-run institutions in Belarus enjoy respite holidays every year with host families in Ireland.

They are the second generation to be affected by the fallout from the nuclear accident.

Adi Roche, CEO of Chernobyl Children International, explains that the effects will be felt well into the future.

"Given that the children, 30 years down the line, who are the next generation down, these children are carrying what is called 'genetic markers' as a result of their parent's being affected by Chernobyl," she said.

"And that is something that is even yet to be activated in future generations so in a sense the consequences of this will last for the rest of time."