Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I wish to express my concern to the Government about the continuing detention of the Irish citizen, Ibrahim Halawa, in a Cairo prison. Despite his acquittal in an Egyptian court over three weeks ago, news reports yesterday indicated that the paperwork to secure his release had not even been begun by the legal authorities. I am concerned about the effects that continued detention of an individual who has been declared innocent of any crime is having on him and his family. Other acquitted prisoners have been released in a matter of days. I seek an assurance from the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade that the Irish diplomatic presence in Cairo is extending all its influence on behalf of Ibrahim and his family.

Brad Youngblood from the Tahrir Institute of Middle East Policy, a Washington based think tank, was quoted in The Irish Timesthis week as saying: "The odds that the delayed release is due to the paperwork and bureaucracy surrounding the implementation of court orders in Egypt are very low." He also said that it is very likely that elements of the Egyptian judiciary or security services are acting to slow or prevent Ibrahim's release. If this is true, can I be assured that the Government will increase the level of pressure to ensure the rapid return home of Ibrahim Halawa?