Arrangements being made to repatriate dead

The bodies of the five people who died in the Donegal car crash at the weekend were being kept at Altnagelvin and Letterkenny hospitals yesterday as arrangements were being made to repatriate them.

Five people died in the tragedy including all four occupants of the Volkswagen Vento. They were Latvians Aija Porcika (38), her daughter Ginta Veite (19), Marita Kerpe (28) and Lithuanian man Ricardas Bielskis (34). The fifth victim was Latvian Danielitis Abartis (23) who was driving the Audi. Local priest Fr Con McLaughlin said he hoped to have a religious ceremony when the bodies were released, possibly today.

The survivor of the accident, a 21-year old Lithuanian man, was moved from intensive care yesterday but is still being treated at Letterkenny General Hospital. A senior Garda team in Buncrana, in conjunction with a forensic team at Garda headquarters, are continuing to investigate the head-on accident.

Minister of State Pat "the Cope" Gallagher said the Government would raise cross-border driving regulations with their European partners at an EU transport ministers meeting in March. He said driving restrictions might be raised and governments might alter the position in which anyone from a range of European and other countries may drive here if they have a licence in their home country. He said this might be appropriate for Ireland and Britain because cars are driven on the left, whereas they drive on the right in most European states.

He said other issues to be raised would include insurance and taxation.