Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said Ireland is providing support to the "small number of Irish citizens currently in Afghanistan".
It is believed 15 of the 23 Irish citizens in Afghanistan are currently looking to leave the country after the Taliban took control of the capital city Kabul yesterday.
Ireland does not have an embassy in Afghanistan and the Department of Foreign Affairs has helped a number of these people get flights out on commercial airlines.
Plans are also in place for non-commercial flights, operated with the assistance of other EU countries, the UK and the US.
In a statement this afternoon, Mr Martin said: "I am deeply concerned by the unfolding situation in Afghanistan. The pace of developments there has taken many by surprise.
"I fully endorse the call from UN Secretary General António Guterres for the Taliban to exercise the utmost restraint.
"Protecting lives, meeting humanitarian needs and respecting people's human rights are paramount.
"All parties, including the Taliban, are obliged to, and must, respect international humanitarian law.
"The international community must play its full part in providing humanitarian aid and facilitating refugees. Ireland will participate fully in these efforts.
"The Departments of Foreign Affairs, Justice, and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth are coordinating our actions."
The Government has announced the provision of up to 150 humanitarian visas for Afghans under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said that the visas are in addition to 45 visas already approved in recent days.
The department said that priority will be given to those working on human rights issues, as well as those working with NGOs, European and international organisations.
It also said that the Department of Justice is "prioritising the processing of family reunification and visa applications for Afghan nationals on hand, which is expected to result in a further approximately 150 people being granted permission to enter Ireland".
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Earlier, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said he is "very concerned" about the situation there.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Coveney said: "We will stay in very close contact with those nationals.
"Some have expressed a preference to stay for now, because they are working with humanitarian organisations and doing very important work that is becoming even more important now."
The UN Security Council, of which Ireland is a temporary member, met for an emergency session today to discuss the developing crisis in Afghanistan.
Minister Coveney described the situation in the country as a "country in chaos" and a "foreign policy catastrophe".
"There are a lot of things we don't know of course, in terms of what is now going to happen in Afghanistan, but I think we can be pretty sure that we will see hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of refugees trying to flee into neighbouring countries like Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan," he said.
"The UN is going to have to try to coordinate and fund the response to that and certainly that is where Ireland's focus is.
"Really, I think the focus of the Security Council this morning will be a humanitarian one, in terms of trying to secure the exit, essentially, of foreign nationals out of Afghanistan and of course as many Afghans that have worked with Western countries in recent years as well."
'They are trapped in Kabul'
An Afghan woman living in Dublin has said that her family are trapped in Kabul. Meena Gulshanyar has been living and working in Dublin for 18 years.
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One said: "I just spoke to them today. They don't know what to expect from the Taliban. It's really hard to say actually."
Her sister and extended family live Kabul.
"They are hoping to get a visa and go to be safe, at least in Tajikstan or Iran, but it's really hard to get a visa at the moment. They are trapped in Kabul."
She said that they do not want to live under Taliban rule.
"They know that Afghanistan won't have a bright future in Afghanistan with Taliban, because Taliban are against women, against education, against freedom of speech and people fear a dark future and a loss of rights."
Ms Gulshanyar, who is currently studying for a degree in business and technology, lived under the Taliban when she was in Afghanistan and has insisted that they will not change.
She said: "They will never change. I don't think so. It was a really tough time. I was really young when I left Afghanistan.
"There was no work, no education, no freedom of speech, no social life, there was nothing, absolutely it was horrible."
