John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 41: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if a protocol has been put in place regarding the contacting of relatives of deceased Irish emigrants in the UK in view of media reports that Irish emigrants were being interred without any attempt to find their next-of-kin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11099/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The provision of consular assistance by my Department is governed by the terms of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations which was incorporated into Irish law in 1967. Art 37 of that convention stipulates that where a foreign citizen dies in the host country, the relevant authorities of the host country have an obligation to advise the resident/accredited Consular Mission of the deceased's country of citizenship as soon as possible after the death has been confirmed. When an Irish Mission is notified of the death of an Irish citizen, every effort is made, either by the Mission or our Consular Assistance Section, to inform the deceased's next of kin, via the police, as quickly as possible. I am informed that that the number of cases where the relevant Irish Mission was not officially notified of the death of an Irish citizen in that country is extremely rare.

Following on from a media report some months ago which suggested that Irish citizens were being buried in the UK without contact being made with next of kin and a subsequent enquiry by the Deputy, our Embassy in London made enquiries with a number of local authorities in areas with significant Irish populations (Camden, Ealing, Hammersmith, Southwark, Brent) and found no evidence to suggest that the "public burial" of Irish citizens occurs in anything other than very rare cases. I am also informed that while the local authorities do not record such burials by nationality they could not recall any recent cases of Irish people requiring public burials.

I can assure the Deputy that our Embassy assists the police and local authorities in locating relatives of deceased Irish people with no next of kin who come to their attention. Also Irish community and voluntary agencies, which are supported by Government funding, provide a similar service.

I can also advise the Deputy that our Embassy has written to all local authorities in areas with significant Irish populations to ask that it be contacted in cases of deaths of Irish citizens where no next of kin can be located.