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For Oral Answer on : 23/06/2022
Question Number(s): 123 Question Reference(s): 33203/22
Department: Foreign Affairs
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of Irish citizens who are in effect under house arrest in other jurisdictions in that they are being prevented from leaving such jurisdictions for reasons to include pending court or other legal proceedings being finalised; the way his Department and consular staff are supporting these citizens; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
My Department is currently providing consular assistance to a small number of citizens prevented from leaving other jurisdictions. Citizens can be prevented from leaving such countries for a variety of reasons, including where legal processes are pending or ongoing, fines are owed, or the citizen is on parole.
It should be noted that it is not possible to provide precise statistics for the number of Irish citizens in such circumstances. In some cases the individuals involved do not seek any assistance, or do not want the Irish authorities to be informed of their situation.
My Department provides consular assistance to citizens on direct request and in line with the Department’s Consular Assistance Charter, available at www.dfa.ie. The Department does not provide legal advice or interfere in the judicial processes of other jurisdictions. However, we can through our Embassy and Consulate network and the Consular Assistance Unit in the Department provide appropriate support to the citizen, for example, by providing details of English-speaking lawyers or other contacts, contacting family or friends on behalf of the citizen, and remaining in touch and supportive in often difficult circumstances.
