Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 75: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) is stranded at a location and the steps he will take to secure their exit. [10329/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I can confirm to the Deputy that the person mentioned by him contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs in March 2011 regarding his difficulties entering Egypt from Gaza. The person concerned had in this instance been travelling on his US passport but has refused to seek consular assistance from the US authorities. Notwithstanding the complications arising from his travelling on a non-Irish passport, my Department has been providing consular assistance to him, through our Embassies in Cairo and Tel Aviv and our Consular Assistance Section, on the basis that he is also an Irish citizen. I can confirm that our Embassy in Cairo is making every effort, including making direct representations to the Egyptian authorities, in an effort to facilitate his proposed exit from Gaza and will continue to work to this end.

It is the case, however, that my Department has been advising Irish citizens against all travel to the Gaza strip and if citizens do decide to travel, against this advice, then they must take personal responsibility for the consequences of their actions in this regard and that the provision of consular assistance in those situations may be very limited.

I would also wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has, over recent months, provided extensive assistance to the person mentioned by him in circumstances where he has, in our opinion, put his own personal safety at risk. I understand that officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv visited him in detention and assisted his safe departure from Israel when he was deported in June 2010. In addition an official from our Embassy in Ankara met him in Istanbul following his deportation to ensure his access to medical treatment and to facilitate his return home. I am informed that our Passport Office made personal arrangements with him regarding the replacement of his passport. I am also informed that last November 2010, our Embassy in Athens came to his assistance when he reported that he had been kidnapped by boat and taken from Libya to Greece, and was arrested and charged upon arrival.

My Department, through our Embassies mentioned above, have made representations to members of local police, judiciary and Foreign Ministries on behalf of this individual. I am aware that staff from the Embassies have also been dispatched to ports and airports to assist him. I also understand that consular access to visit him in detention has been demanded on his behalf in both Greece and Israel. In addition, I believe that our Embassies have assisted him on several occasions with emergency travel documents to enable him to return home.

This extensive consular support has been provided at considerable cost to the taxpayer and disruption to the normal working of our Embassies and Consulates.

My Department will nevertheless continue to liaise with the Egyptian authorities on this person's behalf.