Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I respect both Deputies' views but I do not accept them. There is no issue with that. I disagree with some of their points. I see and hear at first hand from members of the Irish Naval Service who tell me of thousands of men, women and children losing their lives because they are being disembarked on the Libyan coastline in unsafe vessels which go out maybe a couple of miles and sink and there is nobody there to rescue and assist the people. That is totally wrong. We are stopping the smuggling of migrants by apprehending some of the people who are bringing in unsafe vessels to the Libyan coastline. This is a fully UN-mandated mission. We have participated in CSDP operations over a long number of years. This received Government and Dáil approval under the triple lock. Libyan coastguard training is a positive move towards capacity building by the EU mission. It is the fastest way to reduce irregular migrant flows and intercept smugglers' inside territorial waters. I believe this operation is working and we have made the right decision. It is one of the reasons I brought the memorandum to Government. I believe this is the correct course of action.

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