Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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32. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade given that work is underway on developing a new diaspora strategy, if he will consider a scheme included under the strategy to cover the repatriation costs encountered by families of Irish citizens who have died abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37614/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In line with commitments in the Programme for Government, work is underway on preparing the development of the next Diaspora Strategy.

As part of this process, there has been a number of in-person engagements both at home and abroad, so that a wide range of voices and opinions are captured during the drafting process.

Furthermore, to complement the work of these in person engagements, my colleague, Neale Richmond, the Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, launched the first ever global on-line consultation with the Irish Abroad: the Global Irish Survey on 7 July in London.

I look forward to updating the Dáil in the months ahead on the development of the strategy, which we intend to launch at the Global Irish Civic Forum in April 2026.

The provision of consular assistance to Irish citizens is a cornerstone of the work of my Department. Officials in my Department, including our Embassies and Consulates worldwide, place a strong emphasis on ensuring that our citizens receive timely and empathetic consular assistance.

I am acutely aware that when citizens reach out to us for assistance, it is often a stressful and upsetting period for them: this is especially the case when a loved one dies abroad. While the type of assistance citizens can expect to receive in this situation will vary depending on the circumstances of each case, our priority is to provide all possible assistance to allow families to bring their loved home, should that be their wish.

Deputy, I appreciate the sentiments that have prompted this question. I am fully aware of the costs associated with the repatriation of a loved one who has died abroad. However, it is beyond the capacity and the remit of my Department to provide financial assistance for repatriations. My Department, as with other Foreign Ministries, provides a range of supports, including notification of the death of a loved one abroad, liaison with local authorities, and advice and guidance on administrative issues. I want to stress, however, that this is not an exhaustive list of the assistance that we can provide. As the Deputy may be aware, my Department also works closely with the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust and I want to commend the Trust for the work that they do to support Irish citizens.

I would encourage all citizens who are travelling abroad to consult our travel advice page, at www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/overseas-travel/advice/. In particular, I want to stress the importance of purchasing comprehensive travel insurance.