merrion street

I am delighted to welcome you all to Iveagh House this afternoon for the launch of this important Holiday Survival Guide which was developed by Drinkaware in consultation with my Department.  I am particularly happy to welcome the author of the Guide, Fionn Davenport.  Fionn must have developed his interest in travel from his parents, when his father, Bernard, was serving with distinction as one of our Ambassadors.

We see this guide as another helpful way of highlighting the consular services that my Department provides to Irish citizens travelling overseas.  It is also another opportunity to alert people to exercise caution and to take personal responsibility for their actions while holidaying overseas.

The bulk of visits or holidays abroad are incident free, but unfortunately, things can go wrong as my Department is aware from the upsurge in requests for consular assistance over the last number of years.

In 2010, my Department dealt with more than 1,330 serious consular emergencies, including deaths, arrests, accidents and hospitalisations and, to date in 2011, the number is over 340 cases. Included in that figure of 340 is the assistance provided to the families of 46 people who have died abroad since the 1st of January. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my personal condolences to the families who have suffered these bereavements, often in the most tragic of circumstances.

In addition, my Department has been providing all possible consular assistance following the recent political situations in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and Libya which resulted in widespread fear and disruption for large numbers of Irish citizens in those countries. We have also been providing, on an ongoing basis, assistance to Irish citizens following the devastating earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan. Our network of Missions, the Consular Assistance Section and the Crisis Centre have never been busier in responding to the many consular emergencies that have arisen over last number of weeks. 

At this point, I would like to take this opportunity to emphasise strongly to Irish citizens planning trips abroad in 2011 to obtain comprehensive travel insurance, including medical insurance and also to take sensible precautions while overseas. Overseas medical and hospital costs can be very high and failure to take out adequate insurance or the lack of awareness of the specific conditions within insurance policies, can lead to considerable financial and logistical difficulties for the traveller and his/her family should problems arise. As people will be aware, insurance policies may be invalidated owing to circumstances such as alcohol or substance consumption or due to pre-existing medical or other conditions.

As mentioned in the Holiday Guide that we are launching here today, while my Department will provide all practical assistance it is not in a position to cover the cost of medical or hospital expenses or to arrange or pay for medical evacuation by air ambulance.

As our statistics show,  an increasing number of Irish citizens are finding themselves in distressing situations while abroad, and travelling to ever more exotic and unusual destinations. I would advise Irish citizens to familiarise themselves with their destination and to consult my Department’s country specific travel advice on

. This website provides up to date and comprehensive travel advice on individual countries, based on the best information available from our Missions for Irish citizens intending to travel overseas. My Department also takes into account the advice issued by other liked-minded countries including Member States of the European Union.

I also encourage Irish citizens to register online with the Department before travelling overseas.  The travel registration system is intended for use by people travelling on holidays, and also for business travellers and Irish citizens resident abroad.  The advantage of registering is that if there is a major crisis abroad, the Department already has a record of your details, so we can contact you as soon as possible.  This allows us to locate you and, if necessary, offer assistance and to reassure your family in Ireland that you are safe.  While we encourage everyone to register, the facility is particularly useful for people travelling to remote locations or areas where they may be at risk. Within the last month, the Department has used the system to confirm the safety of Irish citizens in locations as far flung as Burma and Ivory Coast.  The travel registration system records the dates on which people expect to be abroad, so it is worth registering, even for short trips.  For people resident overseas, registration means that the closest Irish Embassy is aware of their whereabouts and can include them in contingency planning for possible emergencies.  The Department found this system extremely useful in responding to recent situations in Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, New Zealand and Japan.  I cannot emphasise enough how important it is that people use this system and register with the Department.

I would suggest to Irish citizens to make a note of the contact details of our nearest Irish Mission/Embassy in the country they are visiting on

and that, I should point out, in countries where Ireland has no resident Mission, in times of emergency they can seek consular assistance from any EU Mission in that country.

I would also like to stress the importance of heeding the advice of my Department when it makes clear that Irish citizens should avoid all travel to a particular country and, if citizens do decide against the advice to travel, that they must take personal responsibility for the consequences for their actions in this regard and that the provision of consular assistance in those situations may be very limited or not at all.�

By far the highest number of consular emergencies occurs in Spain, followed by the US, Thailand, Australia, Britain, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey and Greece. Not so long ago the vast majority of Irish people took their holidays in Ireland and a trip abroad was considered a luxury. Also the choice of destinations offered by airlines was very limited and the cost was prohibitive. Over the last year consular assistance was provided to Irish citizens in virtually every country in the world, including places as far afield as Samoa, Mongolia, Ecuador, Nepal, Haiti and Sierra Leone.

I would encourage Irish citizens to respect local laws and customs, to avoid excessive consumption of alcohol and to be aware that the use of drugs can and does result in death—at the very least, purchase or possession of drugs can result in arrest and long terms in imprisonment, sometimes in  dangerous locations in distant countries.

I am well aware that the Department of Foreign Affairs has long provided a first class Consular Service to Irish citizens and it is my intention to maintain this fundamental priority and, if necessary, to further improve this high quality service. This is essential if we are to meet the challenge of the changing environment in which we operate. I am struck from speaking to people how much reassurance they get from knowing that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in a position to provide on the ground practical assistance, e.g. assisting people who are arrested, victims of serious crime, hospitalization and also in the unfortunate cases of a death, and that this assistance is provided on  24 hour 7 day a week basis. I am also aware that Irish citizens greatly value direct contact with Irish officials overseas who can speak their language and understand our cultural background. �

My Department has produced its own Consular Charter, Travel Safely, Slán Abhaile, which set out clearly the range of services provided and the practical advice and information offered by the Consular Division here in Ireland and overseas by our Missions and this publication can be viewed on

.

I hope that that this Holiday guide published by Drinkaware will also be read in conjunction with the Department’s travel advice,  available on the website,

, by the many Irish citizens that travel overseas and that it will be an additional resource for accessing information on what support is available to Irish citizens. I would remind again however, that the primary responsibility for ensuring a safe trip abroad rests with the individual.  �

Finally, I would like to say that we are here to assist Irish citizens in difficulty abroad and also I would like to wish all Irish travellers an enjoyable and safe experience abroad.