Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The people to whom the Deputy refers are the original Cuban five. They were sentenced in 2001. Two have already been released. Another is due for release in 2017 and another in 2014, and the last person was charged with other serious matters.

The thrust of the question is the link between the Cuban five and the activities in which they were engaged in the United States, and there is a suggestion that the US was also engaged in covert operations in respect of a social media platform. Unfortunately, there is very little information in the public domain on that report, apart from the Associated Press report of last month which provided the story that US Aid was engaged in providing a particular social network platform and that this operated in Cuba from 2009 to 2012. We have been in touch with the Cuban authorities about this matter. We have asked our officials to find out what they can about it.

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