Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It needs to be made clear that this man's case is due to be heard by the Supreme Court in Belfast shortly. It would not be appropriate to have a public discussion on the merits or otherwise of that case in advance of it being heard. I am very much aware of the cases of a number of prisoners in Northern Ireland. I have discussed them with the current Secretary of State and her predecessor. They will be the subject of further discussions. The UN Human Rights Council is an intergovernmental body that is responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights and addressing human rights violations. There are circumstances in which individuals can make complaints through the council's mechanisms. In all such cases, individuals are expected to exhaust the appropriate domestic remedies that are available to them before they do so.

See this speech in context