Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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284. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding and status of a person (details supplied) who is still being detained in China; if he has made further contact directly or through Irish diplomatic missions with the Chinese authorities on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42543/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As I have stated previously in this House, most recently on 8 December, I have engaged with my counterpart in China on this matter on a number of occasions, including recently via a phone call to discuss the case. I can further advise that the case has been raised regularly at senior political and diplomatic level with the relevant authorities in China, and with the Embassy of China in Dublin. These engagements have highlighted the humanitarian aspects of the case, and the importance of the citizen being allowed to leave China and return home as soon as possible.

My Department has been providing ongoing consular assistance to this citizen through our Consular Assistance Unit in Dublin, our Embassy in Beijing and our Consulate General in Shanghai. 

Our Consul General has been meeting and engaging regularly with the citizen since we were first informed of this complex case last year, and continues to provide all possible consular support and advice.

Our focus has been on supporting the citizen’s well-being, while he and his legal team seek to resolve the outstanding legal matters with the Chinese authorities.

The Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate to discuss the details of any individual consular case. However I can assure the Deputy that my Department will continue to provide all possible assistance to the citizen until he is permitted to return to Ireland.