Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I note the point she has raised. It was not the title of this Topical Issue matter. Nevertheless, I will make reference to it. The Deputy's request is that there be a follow-through with the Department of Foreign Affairs in respect of Mr. Binder and his family. I will commit to taking the matter up with the Tánaiste and his office.

What I will now discuss is Ireland's support of EU search and rescue efforts of migrants and asylum seekers in distress at sea in the Mediterranean. I will touch on some of the themes the Deputy covered. On behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, I thank the Deputy for raising the issue ahead of the forthcoming deployment of a Naval Service vessel to participate in Operation Irini over a seven-week period in June and July. The core task of Operation Irini is to contribute to preventing arms trafficking within its agreed area of operation in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 of 2011 and subsequent resolutions on the arms embargo on Libya.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Dáil recently approved the deployment of the Naval Service vessel and associated support staff in accordance with the triple lock provisions of the Defence Acts. In the course of the Dáil debate on the deployment, a number of issues arose, including any role the Naval Service might have in capacity building and training of the Libyan Coast Guard as well as the arrangements in place as regards search and rescue and the assistance provided to persons found in distress on the high seas, which falls into the Deputy's theme.

Regarding search and rescue, let me reiterate the Government's position that there are no circumstances in which members of the Naval Service will be involved in capacity building and-or training of the Libyan Coast Guard.

Ireland will declare caveats to this effect on formally joining the operation. In any event, it should be noted that capacity building and training of the Libyan coastguard and navy element of the mandate is not currently in operation due to political fragmentation in Libya, and as such is suspended.

On the issue of safety of life at sea and search and rescue, I recall that the motion approved by the Dáil included an amendment to the effect that the Naval Service vessel participating in Operation Irini would be subject to the obligation under international law to provide assistance to persons in distress at sea. Government was happy to accept this amendment on the basis that it restates a previously existing obligation on Ireland under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, an obligation to which the Naval Service would have to give effect whether in the context of Operation Irini or otherwise. While Operation Irini has no mandate for safety of life at sea and search and rescue, and strategic reviews of the mission have stated that Operation Irini is not a pull factor in migration, the involvement in the search and rescue and safety of life at sea event while part of Operation Irini cannot be totally ruled out.

The recent strategic review of the mission indicated that in 2022, 91,985 migrants arrived via the central Mediterranean route into Europe. Of this figure, an estimated 163, or 0.17%, were rescued by Operation Irini. In the event that Operation Irini is involved in safety of life at sea and search and rescue, the mission direction is that those migrants rescued by the ship should be taken to and disembarked to a European coastguard ship as soon as possible so that Operation Irini can return to its mandated operation with minimum delay. That said, the instances in which Irini vessels have been involved in rescue have been rare.

Given the area within which it is anticipated the Naval Service ship will be operating, Defence Forces advise that it is unlikely it will be involved in safety of life at sea or search and rescue events. However, I can assure the House that should the Naval Service vessel be required at any point during its deployment to respond to a safety of life at sea or a search and rescue event, it will do so in accordance with the mission direction. Such rescue operations will be conducted in line with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

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