Mr Paul Bigley has heralded the granting of an Irish passport to his brother Mr Kenneth Bigley, who is currently being held hostage in Iraq, as a "very gallant" gesture by the Irish government.
Mr Bigley believes the intervention of the department of Foreign Affairs and the support of the Irish people will bring his brother home safe and well.
"It will save his life and bring him home," Mr Bigley told Sky News Ireland.
"When Ken comes home, and I'll tell you this quite clearly and quite categorically, it's only down to one thing, and that is the whole nation of Ireland," added Mr Bigley, who admitted to being very fatigued by the ordeal.
Mr Bigley confirmed that further support has been received from former South African president, Nelson Mandela, who is due to make a plea to the captors on Al-Jazeera this evening.