Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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500. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he has taken to help the family of a person (details supplied) in view of the fact that Egypt is not party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38099/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person referred to by the Deputy was first brought to the attention of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2009, and officials from the Consular Assistance Section in Dublin and from our Embassy in Cairo have provided extensive consular assistance to the family since then. Cases of this nature are very difficult and complex and are complicated by the fact that Egypt is not a party to the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction.

This case has consistently been raised with the Egyptian authorities at the highest levels through Ministerial and diplomatic channels on a number of occasions since 2009. I wish to assure the Deputy that my Department and the Embassy of Ireland in Cairo stands ready to provide any possible further consular assistance that they can to this family concerned.

Officials from my Department’s Consular Directorate are available to meet with the family at any time, and this was confirmed to them in recent correspondence.