Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I was disturbed by the directly contradictory reports of the condition of young Ibrahim Halawa, who is an Irish and European citizen. For that reason, yesterday the Government made a clear decision to send a qualified medical person, on the recommendation of the chief medical officer, to carry out a medical examination on Ibrahim Halawa so that we have an accurate report of his medical condition.

I read a report which stated he was confined to a wheelchair and was being sustained by glucose injections, by which I was disturbed. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade reported in depth to the Cabinet yesterday on the extensive discussions and visits by the Irish diplomatic services to the prisons involved that have taken place. The Ceann Comhairle led an inter-party delegation. We wanted to have verified for us, from the point of view of an Irish qualified medical person, the medical condition of Ibrahim Halawa.

I spoke to the Egyptian President on two occasions. I cannot interfere in the judicial process of another country. Getting all the defendants involved in the trial together at one time seems to have been beyond the recourse of the system. The case has been postponed many times.

In the context of being disturbed about the contradictory reports, I asked that the Government approve the sending of a qualified person on the recommendation of the chief medical officer to get an accurate medical report on the young man's condition, and that has happened.

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