120 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will intervene in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23220/99]

I understand that the matter to which the Deputy refers concerns an action which the Commission has brought against Italy in the European Court of Justice – ECJ – case number C-212/99, which claims that the Italian authorities have failed to uphold the principle of non-discrimination on grounds of nationality. The case involves the status of a number of foreign lecturers employed by Italian public universities, including some 40 Irish citizens of whom the individual named by the Deputy is one.