Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We know of the great work the Irish Navy did in those genuine search and rescue operations, the lives that it saved and the medical and humanitarian services it provided for those rescued. The fall in numbers is because of the EU policy of containment, which means people are being brought back to those centres in Libya. Ireland and the Irish Navy are now part of that and it is damaging the very fine and honourable reputation of our Navy. There was an EU delegation to Libya recently. I believe it was the Dutch foreign affairs Minister who, after she visited the detention centres, said they should be closed as soon as possible, but the EU is still standing by that whole situation.

There are accounts of stand-offs between non-governmental organisation, NGO, rescue boats and the Libyan Coast Guard. I know of one example where both spotted a boat in distress. People in distress on the boat were jumping into the water and trying to swim to the NGO boat, away from the coastguard. The Libyan Coast Guard became very aggressive and the NGO boat had to leave the area. To clarify again, is the Irish Navy helpless when looking at the Libyan Coast Guard's so-called rescues of people in the Mediterranean? Were there times when the Irish Navy stood by and supported the Libyan Coast Guard intercepting those vessels in order to bring those people back to Libya or will there be times when it will do so? Is the Irish Navy leaving boats to be rescued by the coastguard knowing what it is rescuing people to? Have any rescued people been transferred from ships involved in Operation Sophia, including Irish ships, back onto the boats of the Libyan Coast Guard? The Minister of State accepts the reality of what I have said is happening in those detention centres. If he does, then he is allowing our Navy, which is made up of very honourable fine men and women who have to obey their orders, to allow the Libyan Coast Guard to bring people it has rescued back into detention centres with inhuman and subhuman conditions.

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