Santa Claus has officially been given Government permission to enter Irish airspace tonight.

There had been ongoing contact between officials and the North Pole over the past few weeks.

Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin has said that all presents should be safely delivered tonight.

"I'm pleased to announce that the Government has given official clearance for Santa Claus and his team of reindeer to enter Irish airspace this Christmas," he said.

"That means all you boys and girls on Santa's nice list should have no trouble at all getting your presents safely under the tree on Christmas morning."

Santa Claus flying through the sky in his sleigh. Image: Wirestock, Inc. / Alamy. 25 December 2023

Christmas Eve is a busy time for Santa, as he needs to visit 390,000 homes per minute - or 6,424 per second.

But he won't be short of energy: during his journey, he'll consume a total of 71,764,000,000 calories - whether its milk, mince pies or gingerbread men.

And don't forget some water and carrots for Rudolph and the rest of the reindeer.

Santa's elves have been busy making gifts for the world's children, and will soon be able to take a much needed break before production starts again in the new year.

Santa Claus. Image: Alamy

You can track Santa through the the North American Aerospace Defence Command, or NORAD.

Its 'Santa Cams' will stream videos on the website as Santa makes his way over various locations.

Historians claim that the history of Santa starts with the tradition of Saint Nicholas, a fourth century Christian priest who lived in the Middle East and became famous for his kindness.

St Nick has his own feast day, which takes place on the December 6th. Earlier this year, archaeologists discovered what they believe to have been his tomb in Turkey.

Santa's magic and origins are still not fully understood, but scientists think that he may exist in a different time-space continuum than the rest of us, so he can get all his work done in one night.

While Santa may still be a mystery to us all, one thing is certain - you'll have to be in bed early tonight to make sure he gets to you on time.

You can follow his journey across the world here.

Main image: Split image showing Micheál Martin (L) and Santa Claus (R).