Laois TD Charlie Flanagan wants Russian 'operatives' thrown out of Ireland

Laois Offaly TD and other members of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence want officials at the Russian Embassy in Ireland to be expelled.

In a statement the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence called for officials and operatives to be made to leave the Republic in the wake Russia’s recently announced sanctions on 52 Irish officials. They stopped short of calling for Russian Ambassador Yury Filatov to be thrown out. 

Speaking on behalf of the Committee, Dep Flanagan, who is its Chairperson, conveyed the Committee’s support for Ukraine and its people. 

“The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence reaffirms its abhorrence and condemnation of Russian aggression in Ukraine and Russia’s illegal and unacceptable invasion.

“In light of the reported sanctions on Irish Government ministers, Oireachtas members and other officials, the Joint Committee now calls for the expulsion from this jurisdiction of a number of officials and operatives currently attached to the embassy of Russia in Ireland. The staff complement of the Russian embassy in Ireland should align with the complement of staff assigned to the Irish embassy in Moscow,” said the former Minister for Justice.

The Fine Gael TD, who is also a former Minister for Foreign Affairs, has criticised Russia since the start of the invasion. He previously called on Vladimir Putin to be prosecuted for war crimes.

In a tweet on the same day as the latest statement, he doubled down on the Russian regime.

"Putin is presiding over a terrorist regime and his henchmen are continuously committing war crimes against innocent civilians across Ukraine. Lives are being lost daily. Democrats must unite and resolve to do all we can to stop Russia," he said.

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The Russian Ambassador has been summoned to the Department of Foreign Affairs by the Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney after Russia banned senior Government figures including An Taoiseach Michéal Martin and An Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Minister for Justice Helen McEntee from entering Russia because of Ireland’s support for sanctions. 

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The statement issued by the Russian’s Foreign Ministry also bans Oireachtas members including the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil Seán Ó Fearghail and several Senators and TDs.