Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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728. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent of support and assistance, including financial assistance and in what circumstances, that his Department and the Irish Consular Service globally provides to Irish families in the event of a tragedy abroad and especially when a loved one's remains are to be repatriated to Ireland; if there is an accessible service and fund to assist families in such challenging circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1335/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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A core objective of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is the provision of high-quality consular assistance to Irish citizens who find themselves in difficulty while travelling abroad. This assistance is delivered through the Department’s network of diplomatic missions abroad and through the Department’s Consular Division based in Dublin. The Department’s website also has detailed country-specific travel advice to assist citizens in planning their travel and acquainting them with particular issues they should bear in mind when travelling to particular places.

The Consular Assistance provided by the Department includes providing emergency and other official documents to citizens, and liaising with local authorities on behalf of a citizen or their family, especially in cases where there may be language barriers. Depending on the circumstances of the difficulty encountered by the citizen, we can also provide information on legal experts, medical facilities and other such locally based services that may be required.

In 2014, the Department provided assistance in 221 cases involving a death abroad. In cases where the Department is notified of the death of an Irish national abroad, the Department will offer the deceased’s next-of-kin assistance in liaising with relevant local authorities and organisations as they seek to repatriate their loved one’s remains to Ireland.

Whilst the Department provides a highly accessible consular service, given the number of people travelling abroad it is not possible for budgetary reasons for the Department to fund repatriations in the case of death abroad. The Department strongly recommends to citizens that they purchase suitable travel insurance prior to undertaking their travels, so that they can pay for medical bills and other additional costs as may be required, up to and including the repatriation of remains.

Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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729. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to open an office of the Consulate General in Melbourne, Australia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1381/15]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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742. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to extend the diplomatic network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1781/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 729 and 742 together.

The Government decided in January 2014 to expand Ireland's diplomatic network, with the establishment of five new embassies and three new consulates general. With these and other changes to the diplomatic network, my Department now operates a global network of 80 overseas missions consisting of 61 Embassies, 7 multilateral missions, 11 Consulates General and one Representative Office.

The scale and deployment of our diplomatic network is considered by the Government on an ongoing basis. Any possible reconfiguration would require a Government Decision and would have regard to national priorities and available resources. Those priorities include the State’s strategic economic and political interests, including trade and inward investment, support for Irish citizens abroad, support for Irish exporters, and the promotion of our values as regards human rights, international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes within and among states.

There are no proposals currently under consideration with regard to the opening of a consulate in Melbourne.