Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Immediately following the arrest of the 14 Irish people on the MV Saoirse I arranged to have officials from the Irish embassy meet them when their boat was brought ashore at Ashdod. They have been visited every day of their detention. They had an opportunity to be deported on Saturday, provided they signed a waiver against appealing the deportation order, but they declined to do so. I understand fully why they declined this opportunity and I respect their right to make this decision. Every day the officials in the Irish embassy in Tel Aviv have worked with the 14 Irish people and we have made it clear, both directly to the Israeli embassy in Dublin and to the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that we wish to have them released as quickly as possible.

Deputy Higgins asked me to meet the Israeli ambassador but I have already done so. I met the ambassador yesterday and conveyed my dissatisfaction at the length of time it is taking to have the 14 people returned to this country.

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