The Irishman opened up about spending nearly three years trapped in China in an emotional interview.
Richard O'Halloran has said he felt "totally" abandoned by the Irish Government during this time stuck in China for nearly three years.
Appearing on
The Brendan O'Connor Show on Saturday (12 February) after his
arrival back in Ireland last month. the Irishman opened up about the experience trapped abroad.
The father-of-four had been unable to leave China since travelling to the country in February 2019.
He went to Shanghai to try and resolve a dispute between the Chinese authorities and the firm he works for - aircraft leasing company China International Aviation Leasing Service (CALS Ireland).
Despite not being accused of wrongdoing, Chinese authorities had blocked Richard from leaving the country.
Speaking in a lengthy interview, Richard said that he visited the Irish consulate in Shanghai shortly after he had been prevented from leaving China.
There, he claimed the consulate told him that it was a "commercial matter" and that it could not engage.
“I thought the Irish government, the DFA [Department of Foreign Affairs], the consul, the embassy network, was supposed to help Irish citizens abroad and I was being told: 'No, this is a commercial matter we can’t engage’,” he said.
"And I was saying: ‘Well, what part of the police being involved is this a commercial matter? I’ve been restricted from leaving China. What do I do?’
"I had no idea. I mean, I was really caught in the dark.
"Certainly for the first year... as far as I was concerned, it was radio silence.
"I'd go into the consulate and it was just chit-chats. Nothing more."
Asked if he felt completely abandoned by his own country, Richard replied: "Totally".
The Irishman said that during his time in China his health deteriorated on account of anxiety and stress.
"I didn't think that the Irish Government were doing anything to help at the time, even though they said they were," he told the show.
"I went over there, I was 95 kilos. I dropped down to 75 very quickly.
"You don't eat. You don't sleep. Anxiety and stress are horrendous things to experience," he said, adding that he began to turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism.
Also appearing on the show was Richard's wife Tara who stated she was advised by the consulate and a legal team that the best way to get her husband home was to not make his ordeal public.
"But after about a year, I just realised I wasn't going to sit and do nothing when I could see nothing happening, which is when I started to speak to the media and just sort of try and raise awareness," she said.
"It was incredibly frustrating. We shouldn't have had to fight for three years to get [the Irish Government's] intervention.
"I appreciate [Foreign Affairs Minister] Simon Coveney did get involved at the end stages but it took three years of me shouting pretty loudly to try and get somebody to help us."
Richard said a turning point in his ordeal was when Ulick McEvaddy became a director of CALS Ireland.
"That, without question, gave Simon Coveney confidence that I and the company were kosher, everything was above board, I was innocent," he explained.
While Richard said the resolving of legal matters relating to the company was a major factor for him being allowed to return to Ireland, he also said that diplomacy played a role.
“All the heavy lifting had been done by me. All the way right up to, let’s call it, the end of November and December," he recounted.
“There was obviously dialogue between Simon Coveney and his counterpart in China.
"Simon did read me a letter that his counterpart wrote to him and it was very clear, the court had to go through a process.
"It had to, and that was fair enough. And I had to deliver what I was being asked, which I did, and more.”
Richard also said he does thank Coveney and the DFA for their efforts in getting him home.
“Obviously, they did do stuff behind the scenes. I certainly thank Simon Coveney for what he did. In the end, I mean, I'm here.
"So, obviously, there’s evidence that he did do some heavy lifting. I don’t know what. He was liaising with his counterpart, but I don’t know what was done.
"I would like to just absolutely make it abundantly clear that the Irish state never provided a guarantee, never made any payment or never will be making any payments for my release or on behalf of the company."
Richard stated that the time away from his wife and kids was almost like a "forced divorce" and said he was "just so glad" the saga was over and to be reunited with his family.
Main image via Facebook/Prime Time
