Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2015
499. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has sought to make contact with the Bolivian authorities regarding the death of an Irish citizen (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24871/15]
View answerI fully support this family’s call for an independent international investigation into the killing of the individual and have raised this issue on a regular basis with the Bolivian authorities. Officials from my Department maintain regular and ongoing contact with the family to provide them with every consular support and assistance. In addition, diplomats from our Embassy in Buenos Aires accompanied and assisted the citizen’s family during their visit to Bolivia in September 2014. As part of this assistance, the officials arranged and facilitated high level meetings for the citizen’s family with Bolivian officials. The Irish Government has also raised the matter with appropriate interlocutors in both the EU and with the UN. Ireland’s strong and ongoing interest in the case has been discussed with, and noted by, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, as well as by the UN Special Rapporteur for Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions and the UN Human Rights Council.
