Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 October 2015
562. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of times he has spoken to the Egyptian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sameh Shoukri, regarding the case of a person (details supplied). [36303/15]
View answerI have had several conversations with my Egyptian counterpart, Minister Sameh Shoukry to discuss this case; there has also been extensive contact between my Department and the Egyptian Embassy here in Dublin, and between our Ambassador and Embassy and the Egyptian authorities in Cairo. The Taoiseach has also recently discussed this case with the Egyptian President in New York.
Ultimately the decision to release this person will be taken by the Egyptian authorities, and it is the Department’s considered view that it is unlikely to be in our citizen’s best interests for all of our interactions with the Egyptian authorities to be played placed in the public domain. The Deputy can be assured that my communication channels with my Egyptian counterpart remain open, and are used actively. My officials will continue to engage extensively with the Egyptian authorities at all levels.
