Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Costello to the House to discuss this sensitive matter. I am pleased the Minister of State, Deputy Costello is dealing with it because he is a Minister of State associated with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. I have been contacted in recent weeks concerning a case, the details of which have been supplied. I do not intend to put the names of the two children in question on the record of the House at this stage, although I understand the names are in the public domain.

I understand the two children have been removed from the jurisdiction illegally by their mother, although the father of one of the children has custody of that child. A series of legal issues pertain. Certainly, the law has been broken on several fronts. I understand the children were removed in spite of the fact that there are court orders. I understand correct documentation was not used to get the children out of the country.

I appreciate the distress this has caused the two fathers in question in this case, as does everyone in the House. It seems they have made little or no progress in attempts to get the children returned. At this stage they are in a desperate state of mind and need accelerated intervention from the Government and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. I understand they have been in contact with the Irish Consulate in Zambia and senior officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This has probably got to the stage where we need those at the top of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to intervene directly with the Government and senior officials in Zambia to get these children home. They are both Irish citizens with Irish passports. This sad and sorry episode must be brought to a senior level at this stage to try to bring it to a speedy conclusion and return the children safely to their families.