Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am sure members often have been contacted by families who are bereaved and are trying to repatriate remains or about other issues that happen abroad and to be given the switchboard for the embassies in Australia or Spain while trying to get through to some of the Irish foreign affairs staff in some of these countries is, to put it mildly, quite difficult. That is the best way I could put it. In situations where this arises and Oireachtas Members need it, a list of numbers should be provided, be it to members of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade or to all Members of the Oireachtas, but such a facility is in place in other Departments. However, when I ring the Irish abroad unit and ask for a contact number in Spain, I am given the switchboard and this simply is not good enough.