Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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358. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on any reply he may have received from the Egyptian Prime Minister to his letter of November 2016 mentioned in Dáil Éireann on 23 November 2016. [1611/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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This complex and long-running consular case continues to be a top priority for the Government and substantial resources and time are being devoted to it, by the Taoiseach, by me as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, by officials in my Department, by our Ambassador and his team in Cairo, and by the entire Irish diplomatic network. The Government is doing everything it possibly can to ensure that the Egyptian authorities are in no doubt about our determination to see this young man returned to his home and his family.

The Taoiseach has spoken directly and personally with Egyptian President el-Sisi on numerous occasions calling on him to exercise his powers under Egyptian law to resolve this case and return this young man to Ireland. He has done so in face-to-face meetings on two occasions and also by telephone and by letter.

The letter to which the Deputy refers in his question was sent by the Taoiseach to President el-Sisi on 17 November. A reply from President el-Sisi dated 17 December sets out his approach to this case in a manner consistent with our numerous contacts.

The Egyptian President has consistently advised us that the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary must be respected, and that the Egyptian Government cannot intervene until after the trial has concluded. The President has also consistently made clear to us that he is anxious to resolve this issue as soon as he can, and that he will be able to intervene in the case once the trial has ended. I welcome the fact that he reiterated this to the Oireachtas delegation when they met with him in Cairo on January 11th.

I and my colleagues in Government and our officials at every level will continue to do everything possible and appropriate to engage with the authorities in Cairo on this citizen’s behalf both directly and through and with EU and international partners.