Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Tánaiste that this is a serious issue. Our Oireachtas colleague, Senator Averil Power, and a former constituency colleague of yours, a Cheann Comhairle, and the Tánaiste, Mr. David Andrews, travelled to Bahrain some time ago to raise the issue. I compliment the eminent and distinguished orthopaedic surgeon in Cappagh Hospital and the Mater Hospital, Professor Damian McCormack, who has commented on the issue on numerous occasions. He has stated clearly that Irish-trained doctors have been illegally detained, tortured and convicted of the “crime” of treating injured anti-government protesters. Does the Tánaiste agree that doctors who bravely defied government orders and did their duty in treating injured protesters during anti-government rallies in Bahrain deserve the utmost assistance from the international community? Media attention seems to have drifted from Bahrain and the doctors remain under sentence. Their treatment has rightly been roundly condemned by the United Nations and many international NGOs. Will the Tánaiste consider raising the issue at European Union level? It is a serious one. Has the Tánaiste been in contact with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI, the Irish Medical Organisation or the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland? Eminent medical personnel such as Professor Eoin O’Brien, as well as Dr. Ruairi Hanley from Kilskyre, County Meath, have commented on the lack of a response and action by those internationally recognised professional organisations.

See this speech in context