Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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345. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he continues to interact with the Egyptian authorities in the case of a person (details supplied) who has been detained in Egypt and whose trial has been postponed on numerous occasions; if he expects a breakthrough on the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32083/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The consular case of this citizen continues to be a top priority. The Government is using every possible opportunity to stress to the Egyptian authorities our concerns about this case.

At the last hearing (29 June), the trial was adjourned following an application by defendants for an expert review of the audio-visual evidence in this case. The next hearing is now scheduled to take place on 12 November.

Our immediate and ongoing efforts are focused on pressing the case with the Egyptian authorities for a positive response to the application made in August under Presidential Decree 140 for this citizen's return to Ireland.

I have regular contacts with my Egyptian counterpart, Foreign Minister Shoukry, on this case. On 24 September I met with Minister Shoukry in New York where I again stressed my concerns at the repeated delays in the court proceedings and reinforced the Government's support for the Decree 140 application. This was the latest in a series of contacts which included my visit to Cairo in July. Both I and the Taoiseach have communicated our support for the Decree 140 application to Minister Shoukry and President el-Sisi respectively.

As has been previously reported to the House, the Taoiseach has been in direct contact on a number of occasions with President el-Sisi about this case, underlining the Government's concerns about the continuing detention of this young man, who has been in prison for over three years now without having been convicted of any crime, and who is part of a group trial that has been adjourned on a large number of occasions.

The Taoiseach and I will engage further with the Egyptian Government as and when appropriate, in line with our key focus of securing this citizen's best interests; this means continuing our determined efforts to see him released by the Egyptian authorities at the earliest possible opportunity and, in the meantime, providing consular support for his welfare while he remains in detention.

All of the sustained and focused actions that have been taken by my Department throughout this case have been aimed at furthering these two objectives, and importantly, avoiding any action that could be counterproductive or detrimental to this citizen's best interests.