Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As Members of the House know, the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust was established by Colin and Eithne Bell following the tragic death of their son Kevin, who was killed in an alleged hit and run accident in New York in 2013. Since then, the trust has helped many families whose loved ones have been tragically killed abroad and helped them bring home the bodies. It provides a vital service and I am sure all Members of the House, on behalf of the people of the country, would like to pay great tribute to Colin and Eithne for the fantastic service they provide to the citizens of the country and families who have been heartbroken by the tragic news of a sudden death abroad.

As Members know and appreciate, it costs thousands of euro to repatriate bodies from abroad. This expense is not covered by the Irish Government or the UK Government. One can imagine when family members receive that devastating phone call they do not know where to turn. Now, due to the good work of the Bell family, they have somewhere to turn. To date, more than 200 bodies have been repatriated thanks to Colin and Eithne Bell.However, this work since the death of their son has all been done in the family home. Only a few months ago, back in late 2016, they opened up a new office in Newry. They attended a briefing session in the AV room last year at which they made a request to Members of the Oireachtas for two simple things. They made an application for charitable status two years ago and are still awaiting a decision. They were also seeking a small donation of €30,000 per annum to allow them to continue with their good work. Not one penny of the donations they receive goes to any personal gain - it all goes towards the trust. I ask the Leader to mention to the relevant Minister or Ministers that they are still awaiting a decision and to see if, somewhere in the Exchequer, €30,000 can be found to help them continue their good work on behalf of all families in this country.