Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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786. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if consular assistance would be provided to an Irish resident married to an Irish citizen and with an Irish citizen child, should that resident require it; and the extent of the assistance that could be provided. [20587/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Irish citizens may seek consular assistance and support through an Irish Embassy or Consulate when travelling or residing overseas. The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963) facilitates the exercise of our consular functions. Under the convention, Irish Consular posts have certain rights of communication with our citizens abroad and host governments are obliged to share certain information concerning our citizens, and to facilitate certain consular access and assistance. In the case of an individual who is not an Irish citizen, the host government has no obligation to afford these rights to Ireland.

In the event that a person who is not an Irish citizen requires consular assistance, such assistance should be sought in the first instance through the State of which s/he is a citizen.