Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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263. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the circumstances surrounding an investment by a number of Irish citizens in a beach resort in Morocco; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that the developer having procured substantial deposits from Irish investors has never proceeded with the resort and has failed to refund investors in this project over the past 14 years; if his Department has had contact either with the UK or the Moroccan authorities on this matter; if he will arrange for the Irish Ambassador to liaise with his UK counterpart in terms of increasing diplomatic pressure on the Moroccan authorities to resolve this issue given that Moroccan courts have in recent times sanctioned the sale of the lands involved back to the bank on the premise of refunding investor deposits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5539/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department is aware of the issue raised by the Deputy. Most recently, officials in the new Embassy of Ireland in Rabat have been in contact with a number of the affected Irish citizens. My officials will engage directly with the individuals concerned.

While I share the Deputy’s concern about this long-running matter and regret that a number of Irish citizens have found themselves in difficult situations relating to it, I must note that my Department cannot intervene directly in private legal or property contractual disputes. I have however asked our Ambassador in Rabat to make contact with the British Ambassador, as very many British citizens are also affected by this case, to urgently discuss if any appropriate assistance can be provided by either their Embassy or ours to our respective affected citizens.