Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann approves, pursuant to section 2 of the Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1960, as applied by section 2 of the Defence (Amendment) Act 2006, the deployment of a Naval Service Vessel and associated support staff and elements for service as part of the EU Common Security and Defence Policy naval operation, Operation lrini, and in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011) and subsequent UN Resolutions on the arms embargo on Libya, noting that the planned deployment is for a period of seven weeks and will be subject to renewal of the UN mandate/authority for the mission.

This recommendation was approved by the Government on 5 April last. As the mission is also the subject of a resolution of the United Nations Security Council, I am today asking Dáil Éireann to complete the triple lock and approve participation in this UN-mandated mission.

In commending the motion to the Dáil, I want to advise the House of the background to the mission - the EU naval operation in the Mediterranean, EUNAVFOR MED, or Operation Irini - and outline why the Government believes Ireland should join it at this point and why the Dáil should confirm its approval of Ireland's participation. The operation was launched on 31 March 2020 with the primary mission of implementing the UN Security Council resolutions on the arms embargo on Libya. Its core task is the implementation of the UN arms embargo on Libya through the use of aerial, satellite and maritime assets. In particular, the mission is mandated to carry out inspections of vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya suspected to be carrying arms or related material to and from Libya in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2292 of 2016 and subsequent resolutions.

As for its objective, Operation Irini aims, by stemming the flow of weapons into Libya, to create the conditions for a permanent ceasefire in that country. The Libyan people have suffered terribly over many years and all efforts to secure a permanent ceasefire there should be made. The operation also has important secondary tasks of implementing measures, all covered by separate UN Security Council resolutions, to contribute to the implementation of UN measures to prevent the illicit exportation of petroleum from Libya, to assist in the development of the capacity and training of the Libyan Coast Guard and navy, and to contribute to the disruption of the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks, in accordance with applicable international law.

While capacity-building and training of the Libyan Coast Guard is part of Operation Irini’s mandate, it is not intended that Naval Service personnel will engage in this activity when deployed to Operation Irini. Operation Irini has no mandate for search and rescue events. It operates on the high seas and in areas that do not attract such activity. Should an occasion arise, however, where an Operation Irini ship is involved in such an event and rescues migrants, these migrants will be disembarked to a European coastguard ship as soon as possible in order that the Operation Irini ship can return to its mandated operations with the minimum of delay.

In all, 23 EU member states contribute to Operation Irini and, currently, two ships and six planes are deployed to the mission. Countries are encouraged to provide naval assets temporarily to Operation Irini to boost the capability and capacity of the mission. This allows flexibility to participating nations to provide assets on a case-by-case basis and at a time of their choosing. Deputies will recall that during the period 2015 to 2018, the Naval Service contributed ships to two missions in the Mediterranean Sea. The first, Operation Pontus from 2015 to 2017, was an important element in Ireland's response to the migration crisis and was conducted by way of a bilateral arrangement with Italy. In July 2017, the Government and the Dáil approved the redeployment of Naval Service assets from primarily humanitarian search and rescue operations to primarily security and interception operations as part of Operation Sophia. Operation Sophia officially closed on 31 March 2020 and a new EU naval mission, Operation Irini, commenced. In May 2020, the Government approved the deployment of up to three Permanent Defence Force personnel to participate in Operation Irini and agreed to the possible future deployment of up to two personnel to the force headquarters at sea. The Defence Forces currently have three personnel deployed to the operational headquarters of Operation Irini in Rome. The Defence Forces, and the Naval Service in particular, have derived significant benefits from participation in these naval missions.

On behalf of the Government, I am seeking Dáil approval to deploy a single Naval Service patrol vessel to Operation Irini for a period of 46 days in total during June and July 2023. The ship will be positioned in the area of operations for 34 days and the remaining days will be spent travelling to and from the mission area. Participation in Operation Irini will have the following benefits. It will help to further build Naval Service professional capacity in a range of skills and enhance capability in respect of interoperability with other international naval forces; demonstrate Ireland's continued support for EU Common Security and Defence policy missions; and be beneficial in the longer term for Naval Service recruitment and retention. On this last point, Naval Service personnel participating in this mission will gain valuable experience of participating in and working as part of an EU overseas mission. Military management has examined the anticipated impact of maintaining a naval vessel in the Mediterranean on operational capability at home. The Defence Forces advise that the Naval Service patrol plan can accommodate the deployment to Operation Irini.

The Naval Service has confirmed it will maintain a patrol plan that will have two ships on domestic patrols for 61% of the deployment period and one ship for the remaining 39% of the time. While the Department recognises the operational challenges of having only one or two vessels available for domestic duties during this period, the potential benefits of participation in this mission in the context of the recruitment and retention crisis in the Naval Service are accepted. Participation in this mission has been identified by the Naval Service as one of the immediate actions that will, potentially, assist in aiding their recruitment and retention efforts. However, this is not to overstate the impact of the initiative. Obviously, on its own, it will not deal with the issue.

Significant efforts are going to be needed to reverse the ongoing decline in the strength of the Naval Service. A comprehensive Naval Service regeneration plan, approved in 2021, is being progressed and monitored by a senior civil and military team. The deployment of a Naval Service vessel for service as part of Operation Irini is just one action designed to accelerate progress in the regeneration plan. A concentrated campaign to attract new recruits and specialist personnel is at an advanced stage of planning and efforts will be made to target individuals with the skills and expertise required. In addition, a number of retention measures, some specific to the Naval Service, are also in place as part of a Defence Forces retention strategy. Ireland’s contributing a Naval Service vessel to Operation Irini is a positive gesture in support of our European partners. It is a useful and important exercise for our Naval Service and it will, I hope, help amplify the message that a career in our Naval Service is an interesting, exciting and rewarding choice.

I wholeheartedly commend this motion to the House and express my support for it.

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