Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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508. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the next steps that the Government will take to secure the release of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38351/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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This complex consular case continues to be a top priority for the Government. The Government is doing everything it can to ensure that the Egyptian authorities are in no doubt about our determination to see this young Irish citizen returned to his home and family as soon as possible. The Government has raised this case directly with Egyptian President el-Sisi on numerous occasions, calling on him to exercise his powers under Egyptian law to resolve this case and return our citizen to Ireland. The Taoiseach spoke to him by telephone about the case on Monday 28 August. During that conversation, the Taoiseach made clear to President el-Sisi that his priority is to secure the return of our citizen to Ireland as soon as possible. President el-Sisi gave the Taoiseach his word that he would resolve the matter swiftly within the Egyptian constitutional and legal framework once the trial concludes and the verdict is known.

I have also been doing everything possible to step up the pressure on the Egyptian authorities, raising this case with Egypt’s Ambassador to Ireland, Soha Gendi, and with Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry, as well as discussing the matter with EU partners and other international contacts.

The trial in which this citizen is a defendant is, at last, drawing to an end. The current indications are that verdicts for the defendants will be handed down on 18 September. The Irish Government has had official observers in the court throughout the trial, and our Embassy will again be represented at the hearing on 18 September.

President el-Sisi has consistently advised that he cannot intervene while the case remains before the courts. However, in response to our firm and determined advocacy on our citizen’s behalf, the Irish Government has secured a commitment from the Egyptian President that he will act to resolve this issue once the trial has ended, and he reaffirmed this commitment when the Taoiseach spoke with him recently.

The Irish Government cannot intervene in a case that is before the courts in another country. What we can do, and what we are doing, is working relentlessly to make sure that the Egyptian Government fully understands our concerns about this case, and to provide this man and his family with every possible consular support while he remains in detention. We will be continuing to work day-in and day-out on this citizen’s behalf to do everything possible to keep the pressure on the Egyptian authorities so that he can return to Ireland as soon as possible.