Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 305: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason a person from Limerick who required assistance in Bangkok on 4 May 2006 was unable to make contact with Irish Consulate or Embassy staff as were Thai immigration staff. [24530/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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As I informed the Deputy in my letter of 15 June, 2006, his correspondence about this matter was brought to the attention of the Honorary Consul in Bangkok and of our Ambassador to Malaysia, who is also accredited to Thailand and who supervises the operation of the Consulate in Bangkok.

Honorary Consuls are not full-time officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs but are honorary appointees who undertake, in addition to their normal work, to provide consular services to Irish citizens where there is no Irish Embassy.

The Consulate in Bangkok has no record of a call from the person concerned, or from the Thai authorities about him, on Thursday 4th May or thereafter. I should mention that when the Consulate is closed, including at weekends, the Honorary Consul, who is very experienced and dedicated, monitors the calls personally. If, for whatever reason, the Honorary Consul is out of the country, callers are referred to the Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

The dedicated and personal consular service that the Honorary Consul in Bangkok provides to Irish citizens who find themselves in difficulty in Thailand is greatly valued by this Department.

I am sorry that on this occasion the person referred to by the Deputy experienced difficulties in contacting the Consulate.