Are our Irish students too trusting when they’re abroad?

Over 200 Irish deaths were reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs last year - a 33% increase on 2007. Mary Linnane, Aidan Holly and Tara Sheridan are all Irish students who have lost their lives abroad.

DCU nursing student Mary Linnane fell to her death at a Turkish resort last summer. Mary and her 11 friends had spent only one night in Kusadasi on her first trip away when tragedy struck.

The student from Mayo opened a faulty window in her fifth floor apartment to get some fresh air and fell to her death. The owner of the hotel involved is currently standing trial for involuntary manslaughter.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin has highlighted the particularly noticeable rise in drowning and motor accidents as a cause for concern.

He said, “Each one of these cases involves a tragedy to a family which was sometimes exacerbated by long bureaucratic delays in releasing bodies to the families.”

Irish people made more than eight million trips overseas last year according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. More than 1.6 million visited Spain alone.

Spain is also the country where the highest numbers of Irish people die abroad. Between 2002 and 2007, around 322 people have died there due to holiday accidents, natural causes and murders.

This accounts for more than half of the 571 deaths abroad in EU countries since 2002.

This could be the cause of recent figures which indicate 17 fewer Irish tourists visited the Canaries this February compared to the same month last year. Similar percentage drops were recorded for British visitors.

A documentary recently show by RTE made some attempts to illustrate some of the risks associated with travelling abroad. One of the episodes of J1 Summer showed students avoiding danger while partying in Mexico.

The Department of Foreign Affairs recently published a booklet entitled Travel Safely - Slan Abhaile, which is a guide for Irish people travelling overseas. In the booklet they have detailed their protocol for assisting Irish people aboard.

If you are going to a place that is off the beaten track, or that is known to be problematic for travellers, you are strongly advised to register with your nearest Irish Mission and give them your contact details and your travel plans.

Ireland also poses a risk to foreign travellers as highlighted by the sentencing last month of a Galway man for the murder of Swiss student Manuela Riedo.

A foundation has been set up in Manuela Riedos name aimed at giving support to rape victims and educating young people about the dangers of walking alone at night.

Practical initiatives to protect Irish citizens abroad also include the publication of a Consular Charter and the setting up of online travel registration.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Martin said: “While the vast bulk of these visits are accident-free, I want to do everything I can to assist in cutting down on the number of Irish families who receive tragic news from abroad. The booklet provides practical tips on how to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit overseas.”