Richard O'Halloran back in Ireland after being denied exit from China

aziqbal · Jan 29, 2022

Richard O'Halloran back in Ireland after being denied exit from China

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IMAGE SOURCE, RTÉ
Image caption,
Mr O'Halloran had been working for a Dublin-based aircraft leasing firm
An Irish businessman who had been prevented from leaving China for almost three years, has arrived back in Ireland.
In a statement, Richard O'Halloran said it was "a day of great happiness and emotion" as he re-joined his family.
Mr O'Halloran, a director at CALS Ireland (China International Aviation Leasing Service), travelled to Shanghai in February 2019.
Broadcaster RTÉ reported the firm was in dispute with China's authorities.
When he had previously tried to leave the country, Mr O'Halloran was told an exit ban was placed on his passport.
Mr O'Halloran was reunited with his family at Dublin Airport on Saturday morning.

'A beacon of light'

He spoke of how the past three years had been an "incredible challenge" for himself and his wife, Tara, and children Ben, Amber, Isabella, and Scarlett.
"They endured many dark days," he said in a statement after arriving home.
"But they were always a beacon of light and hope for me and the hundreds of Messenger calls we had helped me to remain positive.
"Tara was an incredible tower of strength and kept the show on the road.
"I am home with them now and we are all looking forward to getting to know each other again and doing normal everyday family things."
Mr O'Halloran said there had been "considerable input by a number of key individuals who were central in helping to arrive at this positive outcome" and he paid tribute to the "kindness of the people in China who looked after me when I was unwell".
Mr O'Halloran's wife posted a picture of their family reunion on Twitter, and thanked "everyone for all your support".
"We are so unbelievably happy to have him back," she added.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter

Irish Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Coveney, said the past three years had been a "traumatic" experience for Mr O'Halloran and his family.
He added his return had taken "many months of work" and he wished them well.
Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin said he "warmly welcomed" Mr O'Halloran's return.
In a Twitter post, he said he acknowledged "the work of many people in Ireland and China" who helped make this possible, while also paying tribute to the O'Halloran family.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter

In a previous interview with RTÉ Prime Time last year, Mr O'Halloran said he had travelled to China to resolve a commercial matter and to meet investors.
He described a fear that he would be imprisoned "even though I was innocent".
Mr O'Halloran said in August 2020 he had collapsed and suffered from "acute anxiety and stress", as well as "sleep deprivation and mental stress" as a result of his detention.
Barry Andrews, Fianna Fáil MEP (Member of the European Parliament) for Dublin, who was involved in the campaign for Mr O'Halloran's release, said his four children had been denied their father for the last three years.
He added that his mother, who is in her 80s, did not know if she would see her son again.
"So it's just an enormous relief on a human basis that he's on his way home to his family," he added.
However, he said Ireland needed to examine its relationship with China.