Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

When the change from Operation Pontus to Operation Sophia took place, I and other Deputies warned the Minister of State that it was shifting away from a humanitarian mission to one of policing and imposing the EU's fortress Europe attitude in the Mediterranean. This has been borne out by the figures provided by the Minister of State, that the LÉ James Joycereturned after 100 days at sea, not having saved a single life, which was the intended purpose and why this House and the general public has lauded the Irish Navy for its actions in the past. In 2015 the Irish Navy saved 8,592 lives, in 2016 it was 7,029 and even last year, when Operation Sophia was fully operational, it was 1,888, yet, as the Minister of State stated, this year the LÉ Samuel Beckettsaved only 106 lives and none was saved by the LÉ James Joycein its 16 weeks in the Mediterranean. The purpose for which the LÉ James Joycewas used was to send armed boarding parties onto suspect vessels and it was the only navy to have that duty in the recent past. Will the Minister of State confirm this?

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