Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The EU's deal with Libya is "sentencing refugees to death". They are not my words, but those of Irish journalist, Sally Hayden, who has been reporting for al-Jazeera on the situation in Libya for several months now. The Minister and the Government are part of that deal. With the support of the EU, in February 2017 Italy and Libya signed a deal to stem the flow of migrants from north Africa to Italy. According to the deal, costing tens of millions of euro, Italy and the EU were to provide support for the Libyan coastguard while authorities in Tripoli would stop people from leaving its shores for Europe. The EU, presumably including Ireland, pays large sums to Libya to take care of the problems so that we do not have to see these people or worry about them. In turn, they are imprisoned, sold, tortured, raped, mutilated and killed. They are imprisoned in conditions where they speak of going days without food and drinking toilet water to survive.Some have stopped speaking. They have forgotten their families. According to witnesses, they sit crouched in a corner and wet themselves from trauma. It is estimated that 640 children are suffering in these conditions. In one centre, Triq al Sikka, infected detainees are locked with others in a dark room and have been repeatedly left without tuberculosis medication, in one case for more than a month. Last October, a 28-year-old Somali set himself on fire and burned to death after saying he saw no other way out.

On Monday of last week, Channel 4 News led with a story of horrific torture meted out to migrants who had been sold by smugglers to the Libyan coastguard. The film showed Eritreans being tortured, having hot molten plastic applied to their backs and having concrete blocks placed on their backs while they lay in chains on the floor, screaming in pain. The reason this is happening is the criminals that have taken these men and women hope to extort large sums from their families in Eritrea. Earlier this week, as many as 30 refugees and migrants in Libya, including minors, are believed to have been brought to an underground cell and tortured for breaking out and holding a protest. An estimated 150 male detainees escaped on Tuesday from the main cell in Tripoli's Triq al Sikka detention centre where some have been held for more than a year.

Last month, more than 50 human rights organisations, including Oxfam and Médecins sans Frontières, wrote an open letter stating, "EU leaders have allowed themselves to become complicit in the tragedy unfolding before their eyes". I have a number of questions for the Minister of State. I appreciate that she will have a scripted response, but I ask her to address them. Is our Government making a financial contribution under permanent structured co-operation, PESCO, to the funding of this disgusting abuse of human rights? As a supporter of PESCO, does the Government accept any responsibility for this shameful EU deal? Have ships of the Irish Naval Service provided support to the discredited Libyan coast guard? Have Irish Naval Service ships handed migrants over to the Libyan coastguard? Will the Minister of State condemn this shameful EU deal and the ongoing funding of the totally discredited Libyan authorities? Will she call for an end to the EU's financial support for the Libyan coastguard? How many migrants trapped in these death camps has the Government offered asylum to? Will the Minister of State call for and take a lead on a policy of active placement of these migrants in the European Union and ensure that the death camps are closed? Finally, when will the Minister of State and her EU colleagues heed the call of humanitarian agencies such as Médecins sans Frontières for these refugees and migrants to be released and moved to safety?