Mandy Kelly, a 38-year-old woman hailing from Dundalk, Co Louth, expressed optimism that her two sons would be repatriated from Egypt through diplomatic negotiation, insisting that “no living parent should have to mourn their offspring”.
Mandy’s former spouse and father to her children declined to allow the boys to return to Ireland after their family holiday in Cairo in April 2022. Since then, Mandy has had no interaction with her sons, Zayn, 5, and Kareem, 3, both born in Ireland, who were seized by their Egyptian dad.
Egypt does not participate in the Hague Convention of 1980, meant to safeguard children from parental international abduction by leveraging diplomatic clout to expedite the return of the child.
On Thursday, Mandy, flanked by her lawyer and a mediator, visited Helen McEntee, the Minister for Justice. Post the meeting, Mandy reported that the Minister was open to exploring a potential bilateral treaty or a memorandum of understanding between Ireland and Egypt to aid her plight.
According to Mandy, Ms McEntee concurred that further discussions were necessary and committed to liaising with her counterparts in the Foreign Affairs Department over key discussed points, especially regarding the repatriation of her sons’ passports.
Mandy further claimed that previously penned requests to the Foreign Affairs Department for the retrieval of her children’s passports from her ex-spouse or their cancellation were either declined or disregarded.
Furthermore, Mandy underlined the gravity of this issue as her former spouse maintains the liberty to transport her children anywhere globally. Amid some “dreadful days” over the preceding two years sans her children, Mandy remains resolved and hopeful for their return.
She reiterated her faith in Ireland better serving her children’s educational, religious, and basic familial needs; this faith, she claimed, fuels her relentless hope and determination.
“My youngest child was a toddler of 16 months and the elder was three years old when the incident happened. I thus lost many of their precious growing years. From past experience, the Irish officials are well aware that the trauma incurred by such separated mothers, even when they reunite with their kids after lengthy durations, is irreparable,” she narrated.
She was determined to see intervention taken and divulged that even after her children are restored to her, she plans to champion the cause of parents who experience such dire situations.
“The depth of my suffering, living apart from my children, is beyond words. None of the parents should be made to mourn for their living children,” she voiced.
In response, Ms McEntee confirmed that she had met with Ms Kelly and listened to her harrowing ordeal. “In addition to expressing admiration for her fortitude, I also offered assurance of continual support from the Government, including consular help from DFA, in her pursuit of the Egyptian authorities to bring her children back,” communicated the Minister.
Ms Kelly conferred with Micheál Martin, the deputy head and Minister for Foreign Affairs, the previous November. It has been assumed that he suggested she hire a lawyer in Egypt to interface with the nation’s judiciary.