The President: President Mary McAleese has arranged to take an earlier break than originally planned from her tour of Southern Africa so she can attend the removal of Charles Haughey.
Mrs McAleese, who was initially scheduled to break away from her state visit to the continent today, was instead booked on an overnight flight from Johannesburg and is expected back in Dublin this afternoon.
She was due to be flown to Johannesburg from Mozambique last night on a private jet she had already been using for her three-country tour.
The commercial flight was to take her to Amsterdam where she would be collected by the Government jet today. The same State aircraft will fly her back to Africa on Saturday evening, and then return to Dublin without her on board.
President McAleese, who arrived in Mozambique yesterday, expressed regret to the country's president Armando Guebuza that she would not be staying for the full official programme because of Mr Haughey's death. She was, however, able to attend a state dinner yesterday evening held in her honour at Mr Guebuza's residence, the Palácio da Ponta Vermelha, in the capital, Maputo.
Earlier, she opened a book of condolence for Mr Haughey at the Irish embassy in Maputo.
The President also paid a courtesy call yesterday on former South African president Nelson Mandela, who now lives in Maputo with his wife, the prominent Mozambique politician Graca Machel.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who turns 88 next month, spoke about the "great friendship" between South Africa and Ireland. He said Ireland, having never been a colonial power but having been colonised itself, had understood the South African situation where few other countries did.
Mr Mandela also said he was grateful to Ireland for giving development assistance to Mozambique, a country that he strongly felt was "on the move".
The President was accompanied by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Conor Lenihan, who has agreed to continue with the official programme in her absence over the coming days.
He is due to fly to Inhambane, in southern Mozambique, today to inspect a cashew-processing factory that was established with the support of Irish Aid, the development arm of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The President is due to rejoin him in Mozambique on Saturday, 24 hours after the State funeral, before they both fly to Tanzania for a five-day State visit.