By Dominic McGrath, PA
Three more Irish people have been evacuated from Afghanistan, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed.
On Friday, the department said that a total of six Irish citizens have now left the country.
Thirty-five Irish citizens and their dependants are currently seeking to leave Afghanistan.
“In collaboration with European and other partners, we hope to facilitate further evacuations in the coming days. The situation remains fluid and access to the airport remains extremely difficult,” a spokesperson said.
“There are also a small number of Irish citizens who are working for UN and international organisations and currently plan to stay in Afghanistan.”
Aoife MacManus, an Irish woman who managed to escape from Afghanistan, is one of those who have already been evacuated.
Ms MacManus expects to return to Ireland in the coming days.
She is now in Islamabad in Pakistan, after leaving the Afghan capital Kabul on Thursday, and has said she hopes to leave for Ireland on Sunday or Monday.
“I don’t think it’s helpful for me to reveal how she got out or where she is, because we are trying to get as many other people out as possible,” Mr Coveney told RTÉ radio on Thursday.
“The process is slow and fluid, in terms of circumstances changing all the time,” he said.
