The Defence Forces will be represented at the funeral of the Dublin man killed in action with the British forces in the Iraqi city of Basra on Sunday.
Neither the Government nor the President, however, will be represented.
Lance Cpl Ian Malone (28), from Ballyfermot, Dublin, had been a member of the 1st Battalion of the Irish Guards since 1997. He and another member of the vanguard group he was travelling with were hit by sniper fire as they emerged from a Warrior armoured vehicle.
While advancing into Basra, they had encountered resistance from the Fedayeen militia, which is particularly loyal to Saddam Hussein.
A spokesman said the Defence Forces would be represented at Lance Cpl Malone's funeral as he had been a member of the 20th Infantry Battalion of the FCA, a Dublin-based reserve, between 1993 and 1996.
A spokeswoman for the President said that although Mrs McAleese was not attending the funeral, she had written to the Malone family expressing her sympathy on their loss.
A Government spokesman said there were "no plans" for representation at the funeral.
It is not clear when or where Lance Cpl Malone's funeral will be held. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence in London said the bodies of soldiers killed in action were flown back to the UK "as soon as is commensurate with the needs of the operation".
Following a body's return to the UK, a coroner's inquest is opened. "The body is then returned to the family, to make arrangements for burial thereafter."
He said it was up to the families where the dead were buried and that they could choose to bury them in a military grave or to make private arrangements.
In a statement, the Malone family said Lance Cpl Malone had been proud to be an Irishman and "proud to serve in the Irish Guards".
