Minister rejects ‘shakedown’ claim over €800 evacuation flight from Dubai

Neale Richmond defends €800 evacuation flight cost as Ireland organises charter services to bring citizens home from the Middle East

An Emirates airplane are parked at the Dubai International Airport after its closure on Sunday. Picture: AP Photo/Altaf Qadri

A Government minister has rejected claims that the fare of €800 per person for a chartered flight out of Dubai amid Middle East crisis was "a shakedown".

Minister of State with responsibility for international development and the diaspora Neale Richmond said he was disappointed by the claim, which Senator Patricia Stephenson made.

The United Arab Emirates city and other countries in the Middle East have witnessed bombings in the days following the conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran.

“I'm very, very disappointed to hear that from Senator Stephenson, someone I respect very much. This is standard practice. This was the same when we did evacuation flights throughout covid,” Mr Richmond said.

“There is a contribution. It's understandable. There’s no mention that children will fly for free. Of course, the six-and-a-half-hour bus ride from Dubai to Muscat will be covered. We have not had any pushback from anyone on the ground. If people are in financial difficulty, that's a different story."

Mr Richmond said officials in the region and at the crisis consular centre have worked very hard to arrange for 300 Irish citizens to board a plane tomorrow from Muscat to Dublin to complement another Emirates commercial flight tonight.

“We're in constant engagement to increase the amount of flights to get primarily those first and foremost who are stranded in transit, but then those who are there on holiday, with priority going to the most vulnerable. We're actually ahead of most European member countries being able to do evacuation flights. Only the Italians and Germans have gone ahead of us. It is our priority.

“There's a huge Irish population in the region and transiting through the region and we want to make sure they're safe," Mr Richmond told  Newstalk Breakfast.

He said 24,000 Irish citizens had registered in the region, 16,000 of whom registered since Saturday, and the “vast majority” were not seeking to leave.

“About 14,000 Irish people call Dubai itself their home. And I must just say the UAE government in particular have been extremely helpful to the Irish on the ground in terms of providing information, security, covering accommodation costs for those stranded there."

Mr Richmond said more than 300 people flew home on an Emirates flight last night, and a similar number are expected to travel today.

There was great interest in the first charter flight announced, he added.

“We will run as many charter flights as we need. We're prepared to do more into the week, but that depends on demand.”