Tánaiste issues safety warning to fans travelling to Poland
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has appealed for the tens of thousands of Irish fans heading to Poland to take extreme care amid concern over the huge number of road deaths in Poland over the May Bank Holiday.
Sixty-five people were killed and 1,218 injured on Poland's roads during last month's long-weekend break despite massive infrastructure improvements and the building of top-grade motorways in the run-up to Euro 2012.
Ireland's road death toll for the year up until the May Day holiday was 69.
The Tánaiste sent his best wishes to the ireland squad as the players enjoyed a rest day in the Baltic resort of Sopot, and urged fans to stay safe and enjoy the championships.
"Extreme caution should be taken on the roads in Poland," the Tánaiste said.
"Those travelling to Poland should expect delays (at borders), which could be lengthy, and allow plenty of time to get to matches."
Consular officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs are manning 24-hour helplines to assist supporters who run into difficulty with anything from travel issues to accidents and lost passports.
Staff will be on duty in both Gdansk and Poznan from June 9-19 and the embassy in Warsaw will be open during the group stages.
The Tánaiste also urged travelling fans to make copies of passports and travel documents with the tightening of border controls for the duration of Euro 2012.
Consular contact numbers in case of emergency are Poznan +48 880 529 105 and in Gdansk +48 880 529 078.
The DFA have also opened a dedicated Twitter page for travel advice and updates - @DFATravel.
