Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 November 2020
133. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the situation of 17 Irish teachers owed money by a school (details supplied); the consular assistance provided by his Department to these Irish teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34208/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of this dispute between seventeen Irish teachers and the privately-owned and operated International School of the Martyrs (ISM) in Tripoli, which I know is of great concern to the individuals involved and their families.
Officials in my Department have engaged with officials in the Department of Education on this issue. From the perspective of the Department of Foreign Affairs, our concern has been to offer any assistance we can to help achieve a resolution to this contractual dispute.
The Irish Embassy in Rome which is also accredited to Libya made direct representations to both the ISM and to the Libyan Government on this matter when the issue was first drawn to our attention in 2013. We also requested the assistance of the Libyan Foreign Ministry to ensure the outstanding contractual obligations to the Irish teachers were met.
Regrettably, the context for engagement in Libya has been challenging as the country has been in a state of civil war since 2014 following the uprising and large scale violence of 2011 which forced these teachers to leave Libya.
My Department remains willing, in consultation with the Department of Education, to provide further assistance as may be possible within our remit.
