Four senior Russian embassy officials have been expelled from the State.
Ambassador Yury Filatov was summoned to the Department of Foreign Affairs earlier to inform him of the move.
Statement by Minister Coveney on the expulsion of Russian Embassy officials
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— Irish Foreign Ministry (@dfatirl) March 29, 2022
The Government says it still believes diplomatic channels between Russia and Ireland should remain open.
But Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed some officials have been expelled:
"Under the 1961 Vienna Convention - four senior officials of the Russian Embassy have been asked to leave the state.
"Because their activities are not in accordance with international diplomatic behaviour."
It follows similar moves in the European Union with Belgium announcing the expulsion of 21 Russian diplomats, and the Netherlands which has expelled 17. The Czech Republic is also expelling one member of it's Russian embassy staff in Prague.
All three countries had accused the expelled diplomats of espionage.
The Russian Embassy in Ireland's described the move to expel officials as a groundless decision, which can only deteriorate further Russian-Ireland relations.
In a statement, it says those relations were already damaged by the Irish participation in what it calls illegitimate EU sanctions against Russia.
It goes on to say the Embassy proceeds on the assumption that such a step by the Irish side will not go unanswered.
