Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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409. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 61 of 13 June 2018, if a decision has been reached in relation to the matter (details supplied). [18524/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm that my Department has awarded a posthumous medal in this case; however, there remains a question over who should be given the medal.  The normal procedure in such cases is that the medal is given to the next of kin of the deceased person. Given the significance of the Medal in question, it is important that satisfactory evidence of a relationship to the deceased person be established and that there is no doubt that the medal is being given to the next of kin (or in certain circumstances to another family member with the consent of the family) of the deceased person.  

My Department has been in correspondence for some time with a family who wish to obtain the medal awarded, and has outlined what is required in terms of proof of a relationship to the deceased person.  While the family has submitted certain documentation it has not yet provided satisfactory evidence of their relationship.  

It is not possible for the medal to be held in trust by a nominated person or organisation as this would require the consent of the next of kin and the name of that person and their relationship to the deceased person has yet to be established.

If the family in question are able to furnish satisfactory documentary evidence, for example by way of birth certificates, marriage certificates etc. that conclusively demonstrates a relationship to the deceased person my Department can consider the matter further.  As an alternative, in an attempt to progress this long standing matter to a conclusion, my Department would be prepared to consider accepting certification from a professional genealogist to the effect that the applicants in this case have a relationship to the deceased person and the nature of that relationship.