Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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31. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if consideration was given to or any mention was made of the continuing imprisonment without trial of a person, details supplied, in an Egyptian prison during the brokering of the Irish-Egyptian agreement to allow Ireland to begin exporting live cattle to Egypt, which concluded in February 2016; if any effort was made during negotiations to leverage the deal to secure the release of this person; and if he will now consider calling off the deal before the first live exports take place near the end of this year. [21010/16]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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This question relates to the much-lauded deal by the Minister’s predecessor on the export of cattle to Egypt and the matter of whether the Irish State took advantage of the negotiations on that deal to raise the appalling plight of Irish citizen Ibrahim Halawa, demand his release and, given the publication of the Amnesty International report today, raise the other human rights violations that continue to feature in Egypt.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Questions relating to the release of the person referred to by the Deputy are a matter primarily for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. In this regard, I understand his Department, both in Dublin and Cairo, is actively engaged in seeking a resolution in this case, as is the Taoiseach. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Flanagan, gave a comprehensive speech to the House last Thursday, 7 July, on this matter. I understand Deputy Clare Daly also contributed to the debate which resulted in an all-party motion being passed by this House. My Department has had no involvement in this consular case.

The Irish Government has not finalised a deal with the Egyptian Government on the sale of live cattle to Egypt. However, veterinary officials from the Egyptian General Organization for Veterinary Services conducted a technical visit to Ireland in February to determine the suitability of Ireland’s animal health controls and agree a veterinary health certificate for the export of live cattle to Egypt.

The protection of farm incomes is a key plank of A Programme for a Partnership Government, and in this context there is a specific commitment to prioritise and develop new live export opportunities to provide farmers with alternative markets. This is particularly important in light of the pressure on the incomes of the 100,000 farm families involved in the production of beef, the prospect of increased cattle numbers in the latter half of 2016 and the potential for this and other market factors to exert downward pressure on farm incomes. The outcome of the visit in question was the recognition by the Egyptian veterinary authorities of Ireland’s veterinary health certificate. This will allow Irish operators to export to Egypt, subject to the normal exigencies of the marketplace, and may provide a potentially valuable alternative market outlet to hard-pressed farm families.

I reiterate that questions in regard to this important and sensitive consular case are a matter for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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I do not agree. There is a certain doublespeak in the attitude of the Irish Government. On the one hand, we are passing motions stating the manner in which the Irish citizen is being dealt with is terrible but, on the other, we continue to do business with and turn a blind eye to what is, in essence, a brutal regime.

The Minister made the point that the protection of farming is a key part of the programme for Government. Is that at any cost? With regard to farming per se, we could have alternatives to the exportation of livestock, for example.

With regard to the publication of the Amnesty International report today, Mr. Colm O'Gorman was on the airwaves expressing concern over the fact that many countries continue to maintain close diplomatic trade and other ties with countries without prioritising human rights. This is simply not good enough. As Mr. O'Gorman stated, we should be using our influence to pressurise Egypt into ending these appalling violations that are being committed under the false pretexts of security and counterterrorism. It is regrettable that the Minister would not do that.

Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I am in favour of maintaining live exports. While I respect Deputy Clare Daly's concern about the Halawi case, all the countries with which we trade have flaws. In developing live exports, the approach to the pooling of cattle is causing problems for dealers and purchasers of livestock. They would like the Department to take a more relaxed approach to the way in which cattle are collected because the current approach is causing problems.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate that Deputy Clare Daly is trying to paint a picture in which all the good in the Ibrahim Halawa case is on the Opposition side, while the Government is on the wrong side of the issue. The Government and its predecessor have left no stone unturned in this case. Notwithstanding some of the public commentary and finger-pointing that has taken place, the Government, both individually and collectively, is as committed to the release of Ibrahim Halawa as any other Member of the House.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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The Government is still trading with Egypt.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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That is true. Deputy Coppinger is in favour of building walls and cutting off contacts, whereas I am in favour of deepening contacts in order that we can improve our relationships and bring pressure to bear that would ultimately serve the objective the Deputy and I both seek, namely, the release of Ibrahim Halawa.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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The Minister's approach is not working.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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While I appreciate where the Deputy is coming from on this issue, a narrow, mean-spirited approach will not serve the interests of Ibrahim Halawa one iota. The Deputy can frown as much as she likes but she should not impugn my motives or those of any other Member. On a human level, we are concerned as anyone else is about the fate of Ibrahim Halawa. My colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charlie Flanagan, and the Taoiseach have raised this issue at every opportunity. If Deputy Coppinger believes it is appropriate for veterinary officials in my Department to raise this issue with veterinary officials in the corresponding Egyptian department, she fails to comprehend how best to pursue the release of Ibrahim Halawa.

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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I tabled this question and I assure the Minister I am not being in any way mean-spirited. Like my colleague who spoke last week, I do not doubt that, on a personal level, Government representatives are absolutely committed to the release of Ibrahim Halawa. However, the point we were trying to make last week was that the tactics the Government has employed in trying to secure that end have not yet worked. The Government is sending mixed signals by making representations, while continuing to do business as usual. The comparison we made was with the Australian Government, which adopted a much more hardline attitude in a case involving an Australian citizen. The Australian embassy in Cairo made clear that the case would have ramifications for Egypt in terms of trade with Australia and the country's reputation. The point we are making is that mixed signals are being sent and it is utterly appropriate to use trade and influence to deliver human rights. That is not a mealy-mouthed contribution to the debate.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I spoke recently to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade on this matter and also when he was a Minister in the previous Government. While I appreciate the point Deputy Clare Daly makes, there is no monopoly of wisdom on this matter. We must make judgment calls on how best to pursue the interests of Ibrahim Halawa whose case would not be best served by disadvantaging Irish agriculture. That would not advance the process one iota in terms of bringing forward Mr. Halawa's release date. We must maintain the maximum possible diplomatic, consular and political pressure. A dialogue on the issue between the veterinary service of my Department and its counterpart in Egypt is not an appropriate mechanism for pursuing the interests of Ibrahim Halawa.