Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 October 2009
222 Deputy George Lee asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) whose daughter was murdered abroad was told by his Department to contact the British Foreign Office for assistance; the further reason his Department has not made an offer of help or assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37640/09]
View answer223 Deputy George Lee asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will intervene to offer assistance to a person (details supplied) whose daughter was murdered abroad and help them to progress the police investigation abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37641/09]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 223 together.
At the outset, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the family on the death of the person mentioned by him. My thoughts are with them during what is a very difficult time for them.
My Department, through both the Consular Section in Dublin and our Embassy in Madrid, was in contact with the family of the person concerned during the week following her death and offered consular assistance to them. However, while the person concerned was an Irish citizen, she had travelled to Spain on a British passport. The Spanish authorities, carrying out their responsibility under the terms of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations made initial contact with the British authorities in Tenerife on her case. The British authorities subsequently provided consular assistance to the family.
The family have since expressed the wish that the Irish authorities liaise with the relevant Spanish authorities on their behalf regarding the investigation into the person's death. The Embassy in Madrid and our Honorary Consulate in Tenerife are making contact with both the Spanish and British authorities on the issue. Officials from my Department's Consular Section have agreed to meet with the father of the person concerned.
