Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 October 2017
174. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied); if there is recourse available regarding their property; if assistance can be given to the person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45225/17]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that our Embassy in Madrid, our Honorary Consulate in Las Palmas and my Department’s Consular Division in Dublin have provided ongoing consular assistance to the Irish citizen in question since being made aware of his detention in 2013. The Embassy was in regular contact with this individual while he was in detention, and he also received a consular visit from our Honorary Consul during this period. Upon his provisional release, my Department continued to provide consular assistance to this man through the Honorary Consulate in Las Palmas until March of this year, when the citizen ceased to be in contact.
As the Deputy is aware, the Irish Government cannot intervene in a criminal justice matter in another country, nor can we provide legal advice. This citizen would be best served by engaging a local lawyer with knowledge of the Spanish legal system in order to establish what courses of action, if any, may be open to him in relation to seeking the recovery of his confiscated yacht.
