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

In this House we share genuine concern about the humanitarian catastrophe in Libya in terms of the number of refugees who are staying in totally unsuitable conditions and very vulnerable circumstances. I speak to UN agencies and NGOs that have dealt with many of the people concerned. Many of their stories were shared with Irish Naval Service personnel on the decks of Irish naval vessels. I believe four Irish naval vessels went to the Mediterranean. Only yesterday at the Foreign Affairs Council, the German Foreign Minister, Mr. Heiko Maas, briefed us on a recent visit to Libya, Tunisia and Algeria, where a new Berlin process is trying to make progress on a ceasefire that it is hoped can form the basis of political stability that can be the start of the response needed politically in Libya.

On a humanitarian level, my views are known. I am very frustrated that the European Union has not been able to agree collectively on an approach. I hope that with the new Italian Government and new efforts by a number of EU member states, we will soon be able to have a collective approach that will be more effective than the current one.

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