John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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97. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the name of the person the Government communicated with to date in order to assist a person (details supplied); the responses to these communications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32159/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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My Department's policy is to establish a single point of contact in consular assistance cases in order to ensure clear communication with the individual citizen or family concerned. In order to protect the privacy and confidentiality of consular cases, my officials do not disclose to third parties details of their consular correspondence.

I can confirm that my Department officials are in ongoing direct written communication with this particular citizen, and are also in contact with his family.

The Consul from our Embassy in Singapore, which is accredited to the Philippines, and our Honorary Consul in Manila met with this Irish citizen in Manila on 12 October. Officials from my Department have met with the spouse of the individual concerned, and our Ambassador in Singapore raised our concerns about this case with the Philippines Foreign Ministry in Manila as recently as last week.

My Department officials at headquarters in Dublin, at our Embassy in Singapore, and our Honorary Consul in Manila, have all been engaged in this case and have provided consular assistance fully in line with our general policy approach. My Department officials will continue to maintain contact with this citizen and his family, and will provide whatever further consular assistance is helpful and appropriate.