Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 499: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when a reply will issue from the Health Service Executive to Parliamentary Question No. 390 of 13 February 2007. [10484/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I understand from the Health Service Executive that it is not standard practice to provide financial assistance towards the costs of repatriating the bodies of Irish citizens who die overseas.

On rare occasions, where a patient was referred outside the State for urgent treatment or examination not available in Ireland and died in a public hospital or other public institution abroad or where a person holding or entitled to hold an EEA model form E111 (IRL) or European Health Insurance Card proving their eligibility to emergency health services in the country abroad, died in hospital in that country following emergency treatment in hospital for illness arising during the visit, the HSE provided discretionary means tested financial assistance towards the cost of the repatriation of their remains. The scheme is not limited to Irish citizens and includes persons ordinarily resident in this country.

The contribution made in the former ERHA region was in accordance with the Overseas Section National Hospitals Office Hospital Services Scheme means test scale. The National Hospitals Office is examining the means tests operated by the Overseas Section and by the other HSE offices in other parts of the country in connection with the referral of patients outside Ireland with a view to standardising those means tests. The contact number for the Overseas Section is 01-6352371 should the Deputy require further information on this matter.