Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is totally up to the House.

The central Mediterranean route is now once again the dominant one for migrants and refugees who wish to reach Europe. The human suffering and cost of this are absolutely intolerable. The reasons for the influx of migrants are many and varied and include factors such a the instability in Libya and the ongoing conflict and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.

Italy is one of the EU countries most affected by the sustained flow of migrants coming to European shores. No single member state can manage this issue on its own. Progress towards finding a sustainable, long-term solution to the migration challenge has been slow and, in the interim, many lives have been lost. Nobody in this House has the final answer to the migration crisis facing Europe.

Operation Sophia is a positive example of the EU partners working together to combat criminal activities, save lives and build the capacity of weaker nations while strengthening our own capabilities and creating new partnerships. Targeting the network of smugglers and traffickers has been acknowledged as a key part of any strategy to save and protect the lives of the very vulnerable people.

I am not sure whether Members saw "The Crossing" before Christmas. I wanted it to be filmed to educate the Irish on the crisis that has been in the Mediterranean for many years, specifically in recent years, and to show the capability of the Irish Naval Service and its contribution to tackling the migration crisis. Everybody would acknowledge that the Irish Naval Service has done an outstanding job over recent years. Its capacity to engage in Operation Sophia is great.

I am aware of concerns over the Naval Service's participation in Operation Sophia. I wish to offer reassurance. While the focus of Operation Sophia is primarily on security and interception operations, over 36,000 people, or almost 40,000, have been rescued by vessels operating under the mission since October 2015. I am not aware that there were six to ten ships operating at any one time. I could check but I do not believe so. As a matter of fact, the only participating countries with vessels in the region at present are Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, France and Belgium. We will add to that.I am almost certain there were never more than four or five ships operating at any one time but I am open to correction in that regard. It would be wrong of me to leave this House-----