Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader to raise my first issue with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. Ms Danielle McLaughlin was a young women from my home town of Buncrana in County Donegal. I know her family very well. Just over a year ago, she was murdered in the most appalling circumstances in Goa, India. Liaising with her mother, Andrea, and her family was a real education for me. I learned something about just what happens to Irish citizens when they are in this situation overseas. This case involved the most awful thing that can happen to a family. Danielle, like many Irish people, was born outside of the island, but moved home at a very early age.She was raised in Buncrana from where her family come and was an Irish citizen, holding both an Irish and a British passport. She travelled on her British passport while in India. While I do not propose to discuss the case in great detail, I was extremely disappointed with the initial response of our consular services to Danielle's death. I have dealt with our consular services overseas many times and they are usually brilliant. In this case, I believe they were leaning on the fact that Danielle held a British passport. I made clear to them that many Irish people who are born overseas have several passports and pointed out that I knew Danielle's family. Eventually, the position improved a little. The family had to rely on the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, a fantastic organisation established by the Bell family after they endured a similar experience with a loved one. The trust assured the McLaughlin family and did more in India to bring Danielle home than our consulate did. While the consulate eventually assisted with bits and bobs, the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust did fantastic work, as it has done in many other cases. I apologise for running a little over time but I ask the Cathaoirleach to give me one more minute to discuss this sensitive issue.

Our consular services failed initially to help with repatriation costs. Unfortunately, many people have died in controversial circumstances in Goa. There are problems with the legal system in the region, meaning cases tend to drag on and can fall down the list. For this reason, families of victims must have legal representatives in India to ensure justice is served. The McLaughlin family have not received any financial assistance from the Government. I ask the Leader to raise this matter with the Minister and request that some level of financial assistance be provided in cases such as the Danielle McLaughlin case. Families should not have to rely on fund-raising to secure justice, as the McLaughlin family must do for their daughter.

Unfortunately, Sinn Féin cannot support the taking of the motion on Syria without debate. We raised the issue of human rights abuses on all sides, including widespread human rights abuses associated with the Turkish invasion and siege of the city of Afrin. We also asked that the motion be amended to secure all-party co-operation. I ask for a debate on the motion because, sadly, Sinn Féin will oppose it if the House does not agree to a debate.