Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I simply wish to correct the record on that point because I know Mr. Mitchell put a lot of work into it.

The LE Eithneand its crew continue to do extraordinary work in the Mediterranean for which they have received a great deal of recognition. From the videos I have seen and the reports I have received from the ship and through the Department of Defence, it is clear they are doing a first class job in terms of the compassionate and professional way they are dealing with people. There are huge numbers involved, with some 2,300 people having been taken on board the LE Eithneat this stage. As I said, we intend to continue that work. I have given a commitment - which, however, is under constant review - that we will have an Irish naval vessel in the Mediterranean on search and rescue and humanitarian work until the end of September at least. The LE Eithnewill probably be rotated towards the end of July.

The EU's Naval Force, NAVFOR, mission has been approved at European level. To be clear, what is proposed under that process involves three phases. The first is little more than what is happening at the moment, namely, information gathering and so on. Phases two and three require a UN mandate before they can proceed, as far as we are concerned. If we are to be part of the mission, we would have to go through the normal approval process involving the triple lock of UN mandate, Government decision and Oireachtas approval. NAVFOR is not on the agenda of the meeting at the moment. If a request comes in for Ireland to participate and if there is a UN mandate for it, we will debate the proposal and make a decision. For now, our focus is solely on our humanitarian role in the Mediterranean, which effectively involves a bilateral arrangement with Italy. I understand Deputy Clare Daly has tabled a question on that specific point. The humanitarian role is our sole focus at this time and there are no other agendas at play.

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