Irish victims of Tunisia attacks to be home within 24 hours

The three Irish victims of the Tunisia terror attacks will be home within 24 hours, Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan has said.

Final preparations are under way for the repatriation of Lorna Carty, a nurse from Robinstown, Co Meath, who went on a sun holiday to help her husband Declan recover from a heart attack, and husband and wife Martina and Laurence Hayes, from Westlodge, Athlone, who also died in the atrocity.

Mr Flanagan, who was at a Somme commemoration in Belfast, said the bodies of the three victims are being flown to Dublin.

“The formal identification process has now been completed in Tunisia, there were formalities that were undertaken,” he said.

“In terms of dealing with the authorities there we expect that over the next 24 hours the bodies of the deceased will be returned to Dublin and thereafter the funeral arrangements will take place at the behest of the families.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that assistance from the Garda Siochana had helped with the identification of the bodies of the Irish killed.

"Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade staff, Ambassador David Cooney and Consul Ms. Caoimhe Ní Chonchuir, continue to support the Carty and Hayes families at this difficult time. They have assisted the families to finalise the repatriation arrangements of their loved ones to Ireland, " said the statement.

A minute’s silence was held in the Dáil parliament yesterday as a mark of respect for the victims, while flags flew on Government Buildings at half mast.

Books of condolences were also opened in Meath, Athlone and online by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

The funeral for Mrs Hayes and her husband, known as Lonnie, will take place at the Church of Saint Peter and Paul in Athlone on Friday.

A spokeswoman said the families of the deceased had asked for privacy at this time.

Meanwhile a flight containing the bodies of eight Britons killed in the massacre has begun its journey to the UK.

The C-17 military transport aircraft left Tunis airport bound for Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

The flight, which will arrive at about 3pm, contains the bodies of Adrian Evans, Charles Evans, Joel Richards, Carly Lovett, Stephen Mellor, John Stollery, and Denis and Elaine Thwaites, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said.

The flight set off as Prime Minister David Cameron told MPs that 27 British nationals had been confirmed dead.

But that figure is expected rise as 30 Britons are believed to be among the 38 shot dead by student Seifeddine Rezgui, 23, at the beach resort of Sousse on Friday.