The family of an Irish father-of-four who has been ‘effectively held hostage’ by the Chinese Government for two years is pleading for help.

45-year-old Richard O’Halloran is the first and only Irish citizen to be held under a Chinese Exit Ban.

He is permitted to move freely around the city of Shanghai; however, he is not allowed to leave and return home to his wife and four children.

Speaking to Newstalk reporter Josh Crosbie for The Hard Shoulder this evening, Richard’s wife Tara O’Halloran said the last two years have been “devastating” for the family.

“We have four children,” she said. “The oldest is 14 - that’s Ben - then Amber is 11, the next child is Isabella, she is nine, and Scarlet is seven.

“They have had two years now of trying to process the fact that Richard has literally just been taken out of their lives. It is very difficult for them. They just can’t understand and it is very difficult to explain to children as well.

“Our youngest was five when Richard left and she is seven now so that is just a huge transition she has been through without her dad. It is just going on so long, I think they are beginning to lose hope that he will ever get home and we don’t feel like we are making any progress.”

Dublin man Richard O'Halloran has been banned from leaving China since February 2019. His family are calling on the Irish Government to help. Tune in to @thehardshoulder for more on this from 4 pic.twitter.com/NF9PGtItkx

— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) February 12, 2021

The exit ban was put in place as a result of an allegation against an executive in the Chinese firm that owns the aircraft leasing company Richard works for.

He travelled to China to try and resolve the issue and has been there ever since.

There has never been any complaint or any allegation against him or the Irish company. There are no charges against him, nor has there been any suspicion or accusation of wrong-doing against him or the company.

"Never see him again"

Richard’s mother Catherine told Josh she now fears she will never see her son again.

“We have all been really, really suffering because of his not being home with us,” she said.

“I really fear at my age - I am now over 80 - that I am never going to see him again. It is very important for a young man who is 45-years-old with four children to be gotten out of there and brought home.”

"Devastating"

She said Richard has “missed a lot of things” during his time in China, including the deaths of Tara’s mother, who he was, “very, very close to.”

“That must have been devastating for him because she was a very important person in his married life and I think that really upset Richard terribly not to be there for that,” she said.

“He has also missed communions and confirmations and those things are big things in children’s lives - and big things in family life.”

The city skyline of Shanghai, China, 12-11-2020. Image: ChinaImages/SIPA USA/PA Images

Richard has a medical condition called Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency which his wife Tara said means, “his lungs are effectively held together by staples so if he contracts COVID for starters, he certainly won’t survive.”

She said he has had “an awful time” over the past two years.

“His mental health has been very low,” she said. “He has been hospitalised twice. He almost died twice basically – his heart stopped both times.

“The first time he was found by a maid in the hotel room; he was having a seizure so he was taken to hospital and resuscitated. Then it happened again two day before Christmas.

“We hoped that might be enough for the Chinese authorities to let him home on humanitarian grounds because he was so unwell. He literally couldn’t get out of the bed; he was very, very sick.”

"Just not enough"

President Michael D. Higgins has written to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping about the situation and the Government has said Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney is “personally engaged” In the case; however, the family say that is “just not enough” after two years.

“We don’t feel we are getting any information back,” said Tara. “We don’t know what the government are doing to try and resolve this. We just really need some communication to hear how they plan on going forward after two years.

“There is nothing happening, there is no sign of Richard coming home and now they are demanding a ransom of, it is effectively €36m they are looking for.

“We are not sure where they got that figure from because there certainly is not €36m in the company. Richard can’t deliver what they are asking him to deliver so he is being held hostage for something he can’t give them.”

The O’Halloran family has set up an online petition calling on the Government to intervene and get Richard home.

The family is reminding people that they are only looking for signatures and not donations.

Josh also spoke to Dublin MEP Barry Andrews about the situation and what the EU may be able to do to help – and you can listen back to the full report here:

Reporting from Josh Crosbie