Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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128. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update in relation to the arrest of Irish citizens in Egypt; the discussions he has had with the authorities in Egypt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38813/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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My Department is continuing to provide consular assistance to the family of four Irish nationals in detention in Egypt. Our Embassy in Cairo is liaising with the Egyptian authorities and has been granted consular access on a number of occasions to visit the four. The Egyptian authorities are still reviewing their cases and at the present time it is still unclear whether formal charges will be brought against them. A decision to extend their period of detention for a further fifteen days was taken by the Prosecutor on 14 September to allow further time for investigations to be completed. My Department will continue to provide consular assistance to the four detainees and their family in Ireland. My Department continues to advise Irish citizens not to travel to Egypt at this time. If, against our advice, Irish citizens decide to travel to Egypt they should exercise extreme caution and avoid all protests and demonstrations.