Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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203. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to advise what response he is receiving from engagement on the case of a person (details supplied); the additional actions that will be taken; if anything on a cross-party basis will be helpful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25619/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I recently wrote to my Iraqi counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, in relation to this case. I followed up with a phone call to Minister Hussein on 2 May, to press the case for this person's release. I also spoke directly with his family to update them on the phone call. We are following up on that discussion, but as the Deputy will appreciate, it is not practice to discuss individual cases in detail.

As the Deputy will be aware, the person involved is an Australian citizen. It is therefore the Australian authorities, and their Embassy in Baghdad, who have consular responsibility and standing in relation to his case. However, we have also engaged with the case in support of Australia's efforts wherever possible. My Department and Ireland's Ambassador in Jordan, who is accredited to Iraq, regularly press Iraqi authorities to move to release him. We will continue to do so. My officials will remain in regular contact with the person's family.

I wish to acknowledge the Deputy's consistent and constructive interest in this case, which has I believe been helpful in alerting the Iraqi Embassy and Government to the strong concerns felt in Ireland about this case.