Micheal Martin is in Egypt to welcome Irish families and citizens fleeing the conflict in Gaza that have made it through the Rafah Crossing.
It is believed there are as many as 40 Irish citizens still trapped in Gaza that can’t get out.
Speaking to reporters ahead of greeting the returning citizens, our Foreign Affairs Minister told reporters in Cairo: "It’s a significant amount of people and there are a significant number of people who we have to work on behalf of who are not in the first group.
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"Clearly, the Israeli authorities are an important interlocutor in this situation as well along with the Egyptian authorities and Minister (Sameh Hassan Shoukry, Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister) who have been very facilitative now as the Irish citizens have appeared on the list in ensuring a very smooth crossing for them.
"They will come to Cairo and we have our diplomatic team, they’re on the ground in Rafah."
Mr Martin will now travel on to Israel and the West Bank where he will meet Israeli and Palestinian counterparts.
Top of his agenda there will be continued diplomatic attempts to secure the release of Irish child hostage, Emily Hand, who turns nine on Friday.
It is believed that she is still alive, after being initially presumed dead, and is among the 240 hostages being held by Hamas after their raid of October 7.
The Tanaiste said: "We have discussed the situation with Israel, but I’m not really in a position to go into detail, but I’d like to thank Minister Shoukry for his proactive engagement on this issue, really appreciate it.
"And we have spoken to many in the region, but we understand that in the region, to all we’ve spoken to, particularly Minister Shoukry, that there’s a very strong appreciation of the humanitarian situation here, the trauma of a young child.
"And I think everybody has seized of this and the importance of enabling Emily Hand to come out, along with others."
