40% rise in Irish people dying abroad

There was an almost 40% rise in the number of Irish people dying abroad in the first half of this year.

Figures show 176 Irish nationals died abroad between January and the end of June.

Most deaths occur in typical tourist hotspots like Spain, France, Portugal and the UK.

Pat Bourne is the head of the Consular Division in the Department of Foreign Affairs, and explains why this is likely to be a record year for deaths abroad.

“Well, it’s related the increased number of people travelling overseas. There are higher numbers of younger people travelling overseas and younger people do tend to engage in more risky behaviours.”

“They tend to indulge more in alcohol. People should be aware there are higher risks, people lose their inhibitions and they maybe do things that they wouldn’t normally do while they’re on holiday,” he added.