Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 1 April 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade

Irish Prisoners Abroad: Motion

10:00 am

Photo of Jim WalshJim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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I am not. I have accepted everything and welcome the Minister's letter. I do not understand the reluctance because the motion does not have a time factor. While I accept there is a judgment call as to whether one does it before or after the court process, I am mindful that the courts have been postponed many times. He has been in prison for almost two years. As has been said, he has no case to answer. From my observations having been there and seen what was going on during the protests, in all probability he has no case to answer. The problem is that this seems to be a group trial of 426 people. I cannot see a situation where the courts are going to find that none of the 426 people has a case to answer. That is unlikely. How long more will Mr. Halawa continue to be in prison? I appreciate ambassador Moylan's efforts having recognised that Ibrahim Halawa was with criminals. I have a concern that the longer he is in the system, the greater the danger of radicalisation. We have all seen the outcome of that. He is probably in prison with people who have been radicalised. I see an urgency about the matter.

I ask for a clarification on the letter. I commend the ambassador on intervening to get him moved from a cell with convicted criminals. The letter says the request was agreed to by the prison authorities. Has it been implemented? It is one thing to agree, but another to implement it.

Is he removed from that prison cell?