Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 165: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding a person (details supplied); the assistance which is provided by the staff of his Department to this person and to their family living here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4371/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The person to whom the Deputy refers is currently in detention in Madrid pending a court hearing to determine if he should be extradited to Algeria. He is charged in that country with belonging to and assisting a terrorist group. It is expected that this court hearing will take place within weeks. Both the public prosecutor and the person concerned will have the opportunity to appeal the decision of the court if they so wish.

My Department, through the consular section in Dublin and the embassy in Madrid, has been providing consular assistance to the person and his family in Ireland since his arrest. A consular officer from the embassy has visited the person in prison on three occasions. The embassy has discussed his case with the person's lawyer and with the Spanish Foreign Ministry.

The Department will continue to monitor this case closely and to provide all possible consular assistance to the person in question and to his family in Ireland.