Seanad report: House leader Mary O'Rourke and a Fianna Fáil colleague expressed disappointment at the response of the Polish embassy to efforts to get the body of a Pole returned home.
The matter was raised by Eamon Scanlon (FF), who said that a 39-year-old Polish worker and father of two had died from a heart attack in Co Sligo last week. The family of the man, who had been in Ireland for only a matter of weeks, had requested that his remains be returned to Poland. The cost of repatriation had been estimated at around €10,000, which could be up to two years' salary in Poland.
Mr Scanlon said that having been asked to intervene, he had contacted the Polish embassy. He wanted to put on record his disappointment at the attitude of the embassy. Only the combined efforts of the community-care people of the Health Service Executive in Sligo, a number of Polish people living here, and the local community in that part of Sligo, had ensured that the man had been brought back to his family through the raising of the necessary funds. He wanted to put on the record of the House his disappointment at the attitude taken by certain staff in the embassy. "It was even suggested that that man could be buried in Sligo. I thought it was absolutely disgraceful."
Mrs O'Rourke said that while she supposed there was some sort of diplomatic protocol covering what could be done in such circumstances, it did seem that generosity in a case like that would be most welcome.
The advice of the attorney general on the Ryder Cup television coverage issue should be made public, Mrs O'Rourke said. Brian Hayes (FG) had asked her to inquire about what national criteria applied to sports events that should be designated "free-to-air" on RTÉ, and whether the national broadcaster met them.
The decision on this matter was based on the Attorney General's advice, she added.
"I am sure it is founded on good principles, but we would like to know what they are."
Mr Hayes said it was utterly wrong that such a major event involving a sport that united people on this island should not be available generally on TV.