Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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534. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to set out the assistance available to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 17 who has family members in Libya; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47749/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The advice of my Department for Irish citizens in Libya is that they should leave that country by commercial means, if they can do so safely.The Embassy of Ireland in Rome, which is accredited to Libya, has been aware of this individual’s intention to leave Libya for some time, and has been in frequent contact with the person throughout 2014. The Embassy has assisted the person concerned in obtaining a passport for her youngest child, as well as advising them on obtaining an Irish visa for her spouse. I am aware that processes have been made more difficult by the closure of all EU Consulates in Benghazi and disruptions to post and courier services to that city. However, I understand that the necessary documents for the person’s family to travel to Ireland are now in place.

The most recent information available to my Department is that commercial flights continue to leave from Al Abraq airport, which services Benghazi, though with limited availability.

My Department remains available to provide further consular assistance to this family. The person concerned can make direct contact with either the Consular Assistance Section of the Department in Dublin, or with our Embassy in Rome, at any time.