Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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220. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has considered utilising the rule 140 mechanism to try and secure the release of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12132/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Government is pursuing every avenue to secure the release of this citizen and will continue to bring all of our influence to bear on his behalf through all appropriate channels. Significant resources continue to be deployed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, both in Cairo and in Dublin, in the provision of comprehensive consular assistance to both the detained citizen and his family. The Government has formally supported an application made by this citizen’s Egyptian legal team for his return to Ireland under the Presidential Decree/Law 140. This was done by way of a formal diplomatic note sent by Ireland’s Embassy in Cairo to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 15 February 2015.

This specific matter has also been raised by both the Taoiseach and myself with our Egyptian counterparts.

However, the Egyptian authorities have made clear that it is their position that the current trial process must be completed before consideration will be given to the application of this decree with respect to this citizen. Any decision to release this citizen will ultimately be taken by the Egyptian authorities – either by the court following its verdict or by the Egyptian Government exercising the discretionary powers, such as Decree 140, that are available to it.

All our actions taken in this case are in line with our clear objectives. That is, to see this citizen returned home to his family and his studies at the earliest possible opportunity, and to care for his welfare while he remains in detention.

My officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, both in Dublin and in Cairo, remain in ongoing contact with this citizen’s family and their legal representatives. The Government will continue to engage appropriately with the Egyptian authorities and remains resolute in pursuing its clear objectives in this case, and what we firmly believe to be in this citizen’s best interests and to be most likely to contribute to a positive outcome for him.