Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Independent)
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461. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide details of all bilateral meetings held between himself and any other person or group during a recent trip to the Mediterranean to visit the LÉ Eithne, including the identity of all such groups or persons and the purpose of each meeting; if she will provide details of her travel arrangements to and from the Mediterranean, including whether she travelled by commercial flight or using the official Government jet; if she will provide details of all staff who accompanied her on the trip; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28797/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Irish delegation consisted of Mr. Simon Coveney, Minister for Defence, Ms Frances Fitzgerald, Minister for Justice and Equality, Mr. Sean Sherlock, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Maurice Quinn, Secretary General, Department of Defence, Lieutenant General Conor O’Boyle, Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces and Ms. Marion Mannion, Special Adviser to Minister Fitzgerald. On arrival, the delegation, accompanied by the Irish Ambassador to Malta, H.E. Pádraig Mac Coscair, proceeded directly to a working dinner hosted by the Maltese Minister for Home Affairs and National Security, Mr. Carmelo Abela. Responsibility for the Armed Forces of Malta falls within the responsibility of Minister Abela. The dinner was also attended by the Maltese Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government, Mr. Owen Bonnici, the Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties, Dr. Helena Dalli, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security, Mr. Kevin Mahoney, Chief of Staff at the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security, Mr. Anthony Vella Gregory and Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, Brigadier Jeffrey Curmi.

The primary focus of the discussion at the working dinner was the broad context of the migrant crisis, from causes through to the comprehensive response being pursued by the international community. Discussion also ranged across issues of mutual interest within the areas of responsibility of all six Ministers. On Tuesday 7 July 2015 the delegation boarded the L.É. Eithne at 6am. The delegation met with Commander Pearse O'Donnell and his senior officers, among them, Lieutenant Commander Stephen Greaney and Lieutenant Stephen Stack who gave a full briefing on all aspects of their work, their liaison with other naval forces and the Italian Authorities. A full report was given on their work to date, the challenges they face and the assistance they were able to provide to other naval rescue missions. Migration is one of the key challenges which the EU is dealing with and the role of the naval force is central to responding to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Mediterranean. The delegation travelled by Government jet to Malta on the afternoon of Monday 6 July 2015 and returned on Tuesday 7 July 2015 landing mid morning.