Eamon Scanlon (Fianna Fail)

Last week, a Polish national died suddenly in County Sligo. He was 39 years old and died of a heart attack. He had only been in the country since February and had just started work. The person who employed him runs a small business. He contacted the man's family in Poland, his wife and two children, a ten year old boy and a seven year old girl. They wished to have the remains repatriated. The cost of repatriation is approximately €10,000, a substantial amount of money in this country and it could be two years' salary in Poland.

I was asked to help in this case and I contacted the Polish Embassy. I was disappointed by the attitude of personnel at the Polish Embassy to this case and this is the norm. It is only through the good work of the community care people of the HSE in Sligo, some Polish friends and the local community who collected the money that the remains were returned to the family. Poland is a very Catholic and caring country but I wish to record my disappointment at the attitude taken by certain staff in that embassy. It was even suggested that the man could be buried in County Sligo which I regard as disgraceful.