Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am conscious that the Minister of State is taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Defence, Deputy Coveney. I thank the Minister, through the Minister of State, for his very comprehensive response. That is his style and the way he operates. I like that he accepts there were shortcomings. He refers to the European Commission's audit and subsequent administration inquiry, which identified there were severe and significant weakness in the Irish control system. This is a Minister who is prepared to face up to the problems and challenges and to seek to address them.

I thank the Minister for the very comprehensive reply in which he has addressed a number of issues relating to the humanitarian work of the Naval Service, which is critically important. In the remaining time, I thank the Naval Service and the Minister for the work that has been done in the Mediterranean in the past and I hope it will be done again in the future. It is important that we are involved and support this service, which is critically important, both for fisheries and for the forces themselves.