Irish officials depart for Egypt to discuss Halawa case
The head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Deputy Pat Breen is travelling to Egypt today for a series of meetings to discuss the case of Ibrahim Halawa.
It is now two years since the 19-year-old from Dublin was arrested in Cairo, and his trial date has been delayed several times.
There have been calls for the Irish Government to put more pressure on Egypt to release the teenager.
Deputy Breen said that a diplomatic solution is the best way forward.
"The Government have said that, and have made it quite clear, that quiet, diplomatic progress is the best way to move forward in this case," he said.
"That the advice they're getting from experts, that the advice they've got from similar cases in the past and I believe that this is the way forward as well, and I think it's important that we continue to have bilateral relations with Egypt."
He added: "One of his sister's visited Ibrahim two weeks ago with their solicitor - these two sisters, which I met yesterday, they haven't seen him since last March.
"Yes they are concerned abut his welfare, they seem to be concerned about a respiratory problem that he has at the moment.
"From my point of view I'll be seeing him I think on Wednesday morning - and one of the areas that I'll be looking at is his welfare.
