Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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101. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department is still assisting the families and victims of those affected by the balcony tragedy in Berkeley in the United States of America and the attack on tourists in Sousse in Tunisia. [28356/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade activated its Emergency Consular Response plan and its standing Emergency Consular Response Centre to give immediate consular assistance to those affected by the tragic events in both Berkeley and Sousse.

With regard to the Berkeley balcony collapse, the Consulate General in San Francisco and the Consular Division here in Dublin, remain in ongoing contact with the families of the deceased and injured and will continue to provide the highest level of consular assistance. Both the Consulate and Consular Division are also in ongoing contact with other concerned parties including the J1 travel companies and sponsoring organisations, and with the local Irish community organisations in San Francisco which have been providing magnificent support to the families and the J1 students who have been very upset by the tragic experience.

In common with the Government's general approach to consular cases and the right to privacy of those involved, it would not be appropriate to provide information on an individual basis as to the condition of the injured.

The investigation by the local District Attorney into the balcony collapse remains ongoing. While I welcome the investigation, it would be premature and unhelpful to anticipate the result of that formal investigation or on possible next steps.

In respect of Sousse, in addition to the activation of the Department's Emergency Consular Response Centre in Dublin, an emergency consular response team led by Ambassador David Cooney in Madrid also travelled immediately to Tunisia to provide consular assistance on the ground to the families of the victims and to other affected Irish citizens.

I wish to reassure the Deputy that officials will continue to liaise with the families of those affected by both tragic incidents and will continue to provide them with any consular assistance they require. However, out of respect for the privacy of all the families involved, and in keeping with their wishes in this regard, my Department will not be commenting publicly on the assistance it provides.