Ibrahim Halawa has had his student fees waived at Trinity College owing to the ‘unique and special’ circumstances of his imprisonment in Egypt.

Mr Halawa had applied to study at Trinity College as an international student for the coming year.

He had anticipated that his residence in Ireland would mean he would not have to pay the fees that apply to non-EU students, which range from €9,000 to €45,000 a year.

However, it emerged that he would not qualify to have the fees waived as students must be resident in Ireland for three of the last five years – during which he was kept in a Cairo prison. After representations by Education Minister Joe McHugh and Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone, Trinity confirmed the costs would indeed be waived, owing to the ‘unique and special circumstances’ of Mr Halawa’s case.

Mr McHugh said: ‘Some common sense needed to be applied here.

‘I was only too happy to see if there was any reassurance we could give Ibrahim Halawa and ensure that he’s able to access a quality, third-level education.

‘I was delighted to hear that’s exactly what he’s able to do. I wish Ibrahim every success in his studies and life now he is home.’ Mr Halawa was arrested while on a family holiday in Egypt in 2013, after taking part in protests against a coup in the country.

His trial was delayed more than 20 times, meaning he spent four years imprisoned before his acquittal on all charges in October 2017. Although Mr Halawa is an Irish citizen, born in Dublin, residency rules relating to time spent abroad meant he was not eligible to apply for Trinity as an EU citizen.

Mr Halawa, from Firhouse, was acquitted on charges of subversion against the Egyptian authorities in September 2017 but was held in prison until the following month.

His release was met with great relief by his family, including his three sisters, Somaia, Fatima and Omaima, who were also arrested during the riots but were released on bail. They were acquitted following a trial in absentia. They had already returned to Dublin.

Mr Halawa, who sat his Leaving Cert in Dublin shortly before his arrest in Cairo, has previously spoken about wanting to continue his studies now that he is a free man.

He has also pledged he wants to help Irish people who have been arrested abroad. ‘I have left a lot of cellmates behind. There are still a lot of innocent people behind bars around the world, not just in Egypt. I am going to hopefully be working to help release all the innocent people around the world.’