Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the point Deputy Ryan raised, following our visit to Cairo and our meeting with the European Union representatives in their office in Cairo, it struck us that because Ibrahim is the only EU citizen on trial, they were direct with us in the sense that they stated not all of our European partners agreed with the European Union office or a representative monitoring the trial. Deputy Ryan was trenchant in the view, with which I agree, that we should know which of our European partners would not agree that one of our citizens should have his trial monitored. Ibrahim is an EU citizen.

I merely wish to reinforce what Deputy Ryan stated. It was a useful visit. I certainly thank the European Union office as it was frank and open with us on that. It really has a role to play there and it would be useful if the Minister of State, with the senior Minister, Deputy Flanagan, relayed that message from Deputy Ryan, me and others.

While we are on that topic, it was clear from our time in Cairo the amount of work that is being done by the embassy and consular service, through the Minister, and by the ambassador and his staff in this trial. I put on the record of the House my appreciation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the work the ambassador and his staff are doing through the Minister here. The European Union issue is something the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Murphy, could take up directly with the European Union office in Cairo on our behalf.

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