231. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will report on the safety and evacuation plans for any Irish citizens, diplomats, or aid workers currently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo amid the escalating Ebola outbreak; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38945/26]

233. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if her Department has assessed any potential impact on Irish international development programmes or NGOs operating in Central Africa due to the Ebola outbreak in Ituri Province, particularly regarding the protection of vulnerable children and education services in affected areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38948/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 231 and 233 together.

The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Irish Embassy officials in Uganda and Tanzania and relevant teams at HQ in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are monitoring the outbreak closely and participating in coordination and planning meetings with the relevant international and national health and other authorities.

Our Embassies in Uganda and in Tanzania, which has responsibility for the DRC, are liaising with local partners and other donors across the affected regions. This includes regular contact with European Union Delegations and with EU Member State Embassies present in the DRC capital, Kinshasa, including in relation to joint crisis planning procedures that would be deployed in the event that an evacuation was deemed necessary. The two Embassies are also in regular contact with, and providing advice and updates, to Irish citizens in the affected regions in the DRC and Uganda. The Embassies have also updated, and are keeping under review, travel advice for both affected countries.

Ireland has a number of civil society partners delivering development and humanitarian programming in central Africa, and in particular in the most affected country, the DRC, where our funding supports development initiatives in health, nutrition, human rights and education. Humanitarian programmes are also responding to the needs arising from ongoing conflict in DRC, particularly in the North and South Kivu Provinces, and to those affected by natural disasters.

Irish NGOs with programmes in Uganda and the DRC, supported by Irish Aid funding, include Concern, Christian Aid, World Vision, Oxfam, Trócaire, GOAL and Gorta/Self Help Africa. Officials are maintaining close contact with the partner organisations on the situation on the ground.

Ireland commends the leadership demonstrated by the DRC and Uganda in taking the urgent steps needed to seek to contain this outbreak, including an openness and adherence to International Health Regulations principles.

So far in 2026, Ireland has approved €3 million in un-earmarked funding for the WHO’s General Programme of Work. This is used to support the WHO’s health protection function, specifically for the detection of and response to infectious disease outbreaks, including this Ebola one. An additional contribution of €2 million has also been approved for the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies. This Emergency Fund has released €3.3 million to support the government-led operational response in the DRC and in Uganda in relation to infection prevention and control. Through our bilateral aid programme in Uganda, we provided €1 million in funding in 2025 to support the WHO and the Ugandan Ministry of Health to strengthen surveillance, laboratory, and infection prevention and control capacities, as part of a response to the country’s seventh confirmed outbreak of Ebola last year, and in preparation for future outbreaks like the current one.

The Department will continue to monitor developments closely and maintain contact with Irish citizens across the region.