Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Coppinger for raising this matter. I also welcome the sisters of Ibrahim to the Visitors Gallery. If I get an opportunity, I will speak to them afterwards.

I am replying to this Topical Issue matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan. Any suggestion that the Minister or the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are failing to act because of Ibrahim Halawa's name or because of his Egyptian heritage is unfair and unfounded, and is completely contradicted by the record of actions to date in this case. Such suggestions are utterly untrue and entirely without foundation, and I would like to put that on the record of the House before taking this opportunity to update the House more generally.

The postponed preliminary hearing of the case involving Ibrahim Halawa took place in Cairo on Sunday, 29 March. Officials from Ireland's embassy attended, including our ambassador Ms Isolde Moylan. This hearing was different from previous postponed hearings. All the defendants were present and the judge indicated that he would accept oral or written submissions from the lawyers present on behalf of their clients.

Ibrahim Halawa's lawyers formally presented an application for his release on bail and specifically referred to his youth, student status and Irish nationality. Among the documents submitted was a formal diplomatic note from the embassy confirming the support of the Government for the application and other documents supporting the application that had been sourced with the assistance of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The fact that the Irish ambassador was present in the court was noted. The trial was then adjourned until 26 April to allow for consideration of the petitions made.

I was genuinely horrified over the weekend to hear the reports in the media that Ibrahim Halawa was being tortured. The welfare of an Irish citizen imprisoned abroad is a matter taken extremely seriously by the Government and immediate action was taken by the consular division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the embassy in Cairo. The ambassador, Ms Moylan, made an urgent consular visit to Ibrahim Halawa yesterday. She met prison officials and had a visit during which Ibrahim Halawa was able to talk to her freely.

While imprisonment abroad is traumatic for any young Irish citizen, based on the facts established by the ambassador through direct contact with the citizen, the reports of torture were discovered to be unfounded, nor had he been housed in a death penalty cell as had been suggested in some reports over the weekend. Unfortunately, these inaccurate reports may also have been damaging to our ongoing efforts in this case as they attributed to the Egyptian authorities a level of maltreatment and abuse that is not accurate.

Where Irish citizens are charged with offences abroad, it is the foreign court which decides matters such as bail and release. Just as politicians here cannot interfere with legal cases ongoing before the Irish courts, Ireland cannot directly interfere in cases before foreign courts. Given that a petition for release is currently being considered by the Egyptian courts, the Government does not intend to make further extensive comments on this case at this time. I encourage all Deputies to be similarly judicious in their comments. However, we continue to give all appropriate support to Ibrahim Halawa, as we would to any Irish citizen in his situation.

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