Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Up to November 2017, a total of 201 Libyan personnel have completed training, comprising mainly basic training. The training has been delivered in formal classroom settings in Italy, Malta, Greece and at sea. An eight-week patrol boat crew training course was recently completed at the Italian naval school in Taranto. Training is being provided by various EU agencies and NGOs. Further training in Greece, Spain and Italy is planned for 2018. All persons are selected for training by the Libyan coast guard and are vetted by the EU.

I have stated to Deputy Bríd Smith that the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade have raised the matter of these detention centres in Libya at EU Council level. I have stated that the Taoiseach drew attention to the distressing human rights reports on Libyan reception facilitates. I have seen them on television. They are not appropriate and they are wrong. We are very much aware of it. It is not that we are turning a blind eye to it. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Taoiseach have raised this at EU Council level. We have to see the fact that training the Libyan coast guard is about saving lives.

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