John Connor
Question:6 Mr. Connor asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation of his diplomatic and other efforts to secure the release of Brian Keenan.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Release of Hostage.
Since 1 May, when the Minister for Foreign Affairs last answered a question about the sad situation of Brian Keenan, we have continued to maintain contact with those who may be of assistance in securing his early release. I, myself, have also had a meeting with Mr. Keenan's family to discuss developments.
As the Deputy is aware, the recently released US hostage, Mr. Frank Reed, indicated that Brian Keenan was in captivity with him and he also provided reassuring news regarding Mr. Keenan's well-being. The Ambassador at Washington accompanied Mr. Keenan's sisters when they visited Mr. Reed in the US in early May. The embassy later had further discussions with Mr. Reed about his captivity.
In the meantime, the Minister for Foreign Affairs has written again to Foreign Minister Velayati of Iran asking for Iran's continued assistance. Our Ambassador to Syria visited Damascus in May and conveyed a message, in the same sense, from the Minister for Foreign Affairs to Foreign Minister Al-Shara. He also had discussions with the Syrian authorities. Our Ambassador to Lebanon paid a similar visit to Beirut, last month also, and discussed the case with the Lebanese authorities and militia group leaders.
The issue of Mr. Keenan's release, together with that of the release of all other Western hostages, was raised on 15 May with a delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran who visited Dublin for talks, at official level, with representatives of the Presidency, France and Italy. Mr. Keenan's release was specifically raised during bilateral contacts en marge of this meeting. These discussions were continued when the Presidency, together with representatives of France and Italy, had discussions in Tehran with Iranian Government representatives on 30 May. Mr. Keenan's case was also discussed en marge of a Euro Arab meeting held in Dublin last week.
I would like to assure the House again that we will continue unremittingly with our efforts until Mr. Keenan is released.
I take it the Taoiseach will be aware that the British and Iranian Governments are holding negotiations to normalise relations between the two countries which were broken off last year, and it is well reported now that crucial to these negotiations are the future of the two hostages Terry Waite and John McCarthy, and some might say Brian Keenan as well. Would the Taoiseach give an undertaking that he will talk to the British authorities to ask that in any such negotiations that include John McCarthy and Terry Waite they might also include Brian Keenan since Brian Keenan has dual citizenship of both this country and the United Kingdom?
Of course.
Do we have the assurance of the Taoiseach that he will work with the British authorities on this?
I can go further than that and assure the Deputy that all the countries that are in the unfortunate position of having hostages in Lebanon act together as much as possible and co-ordinate their efforts and keep in touch with each other.