Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This is my first opportunity to join with colleagues in expressing my own and my party's sympathy and sadness on the passing of our dear and much loved colleague, Peter Mathews. We send our sympathy to his family.

I want to raise an issue raised in this House before and which refers to a motion that was passed in the House on 7 July last year on Ibrahim Halawa. As a result of that motion, an all-party delegation travelled to Egypt and met a number of influential people, including the Egyptian President, and came back with some degree of hope that the case would be resolved. Unfortunately, that has not proven to be the case. Ibrahim's trial has now been adjourned 19 times and last week we saw a statement from his family indicating that he is now on hunger strike and has been moved to the prison hospital. Like others, I gave a commitment to continue to press this case and I think that is the view of all Members in the House. Will the Taoiseach raise this issue directly with the Egyptian President? It has gone on far too long and Ibrahim's health is suffering. He is an Irish citizen who has been detained in an Egyptian prison since he was 17 years of age. Can we take another initiative to ensure that what was hoped for, which is the release and return home of Ibrahim, will happen?

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