Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 19: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will make a statement on the matter of the trial and conviction in Greece of an Albanian national (details supplied) for armed robberies despite the courts being provided with documentary evidence from the Department of Social Protection and his Department that this person was here when some of these robberies took place. [33494/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am aware of the situation concerning the person referred to by the Deputy, and have already addressed this matter several times previously. As the person referred to is not an Irish citizen, it is not possible for my Department to offer him consular assistance. The Greek authorities are under no legal obligation to assist our Embassy with any requests made in connection with this investigation, as we have no locus standi in the matter. However, on hearing of the predicament faced by this person, and notwithstanding the fact that he is not a citizen of Ireland, the Irish Embassy in Athens made contact with the Greek police in an effort to convey the Irish Government's interest in this case on the basis that he is married to an Irish citizen. It was made clear to our Embassy that the authorities in Crete would not provide them with any information regarding this investigation owing to the fact that no Irish citizen was involved in the case.

To clarify further, the Embassy has certain rights of communication and contact with Irish citizens in Greece to facilitate the exercise of our consular functions under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963). The Embassy has no such rights for other persons, even if they are related to Irish citizens.