Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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40. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the recent sixteenth postponement of the trial of a person (details supplied) in Egypt; the contacts his Department has had with the person and the Egyptian authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36308/16]

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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43. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on progress in securing the release of a person (details supplied) from their detention in Egypt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36269/16]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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46. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the fact that a person's (details supplied) trial was postponed for the sixteenth time on 12 November 2016 and that the person is being charged in a mass trial and has no hope of receiving a fair trial; his further views on the fact that the next trial date will be on 13 December 2016, the same day as the person's 21st birthday; and if he will urgently raise the case with his Egyptian counterpart and press for the person's release under Presidential Decree 140. [36310/16]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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57. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the recent actions the Government has taken to secure the release of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36317/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 40, 43, 46 and 57 together.

I am, as I am sure all members of the House are, very frustrated at the latest adjournment in this trial. The Irish Government is continuing to pursue every constructive avenue to secure the return to Ireland of this citizen and we will continue to bring all of our influence to bear on his behalf through all appropriate channels.

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.

In consultation with both the family and their lawyers, in August, both An Taoiseach and I wrote to our counterparts, President el-Sisi and Minister Shoukry, giving our full support to the Decree 140 application prepared and submitted by this citizen and his legal team at that time.

An Taoiseach has been in direct contact with President el-Sisi on several occasions about this case, underlining the Government’s concerns about the continuing detention of this young man, who has been in prison for more than three years now without having been convicted of any crime, and who is part of a group trial that has been adjourned on sixteen occasions.

In light of the latest adjournment in this case, An Taoiseach has been in written contact with the President again and has conveyed his concerns and restated our appeal for this citizen’s immediate return to Ireland.

Earlier this month, on Tuesday 1 November, I spoke to my counterpart, Foreign Minister Shoukry, once again underlining the Irish Government’s support for this citizen’s immediate return to Ireland. I also met with Minister Shoukry in September to discuss this case and to reaffirm our support for the pending Decree 140 application.

Our key focus in this case is securing this citizen’s best interests. We are working to see him released by the Egyptian authorities at the earliest possible opportunity and providing consular support for his welfare while he remains in detention. All of the sustained and focused actions that have been taken by the Government, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our Embassy in Cairo 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.

The Government is providing extensive consular support in this case and senior officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade remain in close contact with both this citizen’s family and their legal representatives.