It has emerged that Ibrahim Halawa, the Irish teenager awaiting trial in Egypt, is not facing the same charges as some of the others within his group trial.

The Taoiseach told the Dáil the government that Mr Halawa has been accused of lesser crimes than was originally thought, and “more preliminary charges” than some of those he has been grouped with.

“Not all of the defendants are facing identical charges, as was originally thought to be the case, and was a key cause of concern,” Mr Kenny told the Dáil tonight.

“It would now appear to be the case that there are different charges against different defendants within the group trial,” he added.

The Dubliner is one of hundreds of people still awaiting trial after taking part in a protest in Cairo in August 2013. The 19-year-old has been held without trial since his arrest.

“Ibrahim Halawa is in a relatively large group of defendants who are facing more preliminary charges,” Mr Kenny said.

There are four charges against Mr Halawa, the Taoiseach said, which are:

“Presence inside the mosque at the time of arrest; refusal to leave the mosque when requested to do so and when offered safe passage by military police ; travelling from a different part of the city with the intention of getting involved in a protest; and assisting in locking and barricading the mosque from the inside, according to photo and video evidence.”

Mr Halawa's trial has been postponed numerous times, most recently being put back until June.