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

Let me explain. When I said "we", I was talking about the European Union, and the Deputy knows that. I have confirmed in the answer I have just given that the European Union has agreed to an EUNAVFOR mission. It is a military mission and it is also an information-gathering mission and a mission that wants to disrupt human trafficking in North Africa. It is all the things I said on the show but Ireland's participation in it is an entirely different matter. We cannot and will not participate in what has been agreed by "we", as the European Union collectively, unless we have a UN mandate to do that and have passed the required decision-making structures here in the Dáil and Cabinet. We, as the European Union, have agreed to a new mission to try to disrupt people-trafficking from North Africa. In the meantime, Ireland continues to operate as an individual country in co-operation with Italy on a humanitarian search-and-rescue mission.

When the Deputy quotes me as having said "we", she should note it refers to a decision taken by EU foreign and defence Ministers collectively. It has been approved subsequently but does not have a UN mandate at present. We, as in Ireland, will not be part of that without a UN mandate. Even if there is a UN mandate, we will have to debate it and consider it.

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