Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We cannot forget the sterling campaigning work of so many organisations, including but not limited to Amnesty International Ireland, the Union of Students in Ireland, numerous campus and secondary school groups, SIPTU, People Before Profit, the Green Party, including Deputy Eamon Ryan, who went to see Ibrahim during the summer as part of the Oireachtas delegation, the Labour Party and many others who campaigned and lobbied for Ibrahim's release. The Green Party was in touch with our colleagues in the European Parliament to help to publicise the case there. The hard work and relentless focus of Ms Lynn Boylan, MEP, cannot go uncredited. The approach of these groups was not a softly softly one but one that reflected a justified outrage that any foreign government would consider it acceptable to mass detain protesters without trial for years. Ireland, of all countries, should be first to decry this outrage, whether it involves Irish citizens or not.

I recognise the work of the Irish media, which fulfilled their duty in publicising the case of Ibrahim Halawa through the years. The patience, diligence and strength of Ibrahim's family, especially his remarkable sisters, Somaia, Omaima and Fatima, who I met on a number of occasions, bears a special mention. With their intelligence, empathy and decency evident throughout and with their now considerable experience of politics, perhaps we will see them in this House.

We cannot forget the work of the ambassador and the Minister, Deputy Coveney.

I am putting it to the Leader that we formally welcome the return to Ireland of Ibrahim Halawa.