James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Any involvement by the State in international humanitarian search-and-rescue missions and operations, including the involvement of the Naval Service, is done in co-operation with our EU partners and in the context of our UN missions. The Naval Service's involvement in the Mediterranean was as part of Operation Pontus and Operation Sophia. The Naval Service has not been deployed to the Mediterranean since 2018. The decisions to participate in Operation Pontus and Operation Sofia were subject to the approval of the Government and the Dáil. This will apply to future similar deployments. Given these circumstances and the safeguards provided by the need for Government and Dáil approval, there are several ways in which the Houses of the Oireachtas can be updated on such deployments by the Minister for Defence. In such circumstances, it would not be appropriate for the Minister for Justice to provide reports to the Houses of the Oireachtas on the activities of the Defence Forces, including those of the Naval Service.