Cross-party delegation to visit Ibrahim Halawa in Egyptian prison
A cross-party delegation from the Oireachtas is to visit Ibrahim Halawa in jail in Egypt.
The group, led by the Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl, will travel to the country today where they will discuss the case of the young Irish man who has been imprisoned since August 2013.
The group was invited by Dr Ali Abdel Aal - speaker of the House of Representatives of Egypt.
Discussions will also take place around bilateral cooperation and parliamentary relations, along with trade, transport and tourism talks.
The Ceann Comhairle said it is an important trip.
Mr Ó Fearghaíl said: "The invitation is to meet with the President El Sissi and members of his government and indeed with the Secretary-General of the Arab League.
"In the course of these meetings we will be discussing a range of important, bilateral issues, and of course the issue of Ibrahim Halawa will be raised at those meetings."
The Government has previously expressed "concern and frustration" as his trial was postponed for the 16th time in November.
The programme for the visit includes meetings with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sissi, the speaker of the Egyptian Parliament, the minister for trade and industry, among others.
The eight-person Irish group will be in the Egyptian capital between January 9-13.
