Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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616. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of search and humanitarian operations undertaken by the Naval Service in the Mediterranean Sea from May 2015 and to date in May 2017; the number of vessels deployed; the number of persons rescued; and the locations to which rescued persons were brought by Irish vessels. [23054/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Following a Government Decision on 12 May 2015, the Irish Naval Vessel, L.É. Eithne, was deployed to the Mediterranean on 16 May, 2015, to assist the Italian Authorities with the migrant crisis. Two further vessels were deployed, L.É. Niamh and L.É. Samuel Beckett, and the deployment was completed on 29 November 2015. During the period May to November 2015, a total of 8,592 persons were rescued in the Mediterranean by three Irish Naval Vessels.

On 6 April 2016, the Government approved the return of an Irish Naval vessel to undertake humanitarian search and rescue tasks in the Mediterranean. In total, three Irish Naval vessels were deployed during the period May to December 2016, L.É. Róisín, L.É. James Joyce and L.É. Samuel Beckett and a total of 7,029 persons were rescued by these Naval Vessels in 2016.

On 11 April 2017, the Government approved the despatch of a Naval vessel to the Mediterranean to undertake humanitarian search and rescue tasks as part of a bilateral arrangement with the Italian authorities.  The Government decision provided that the deployment is subject to finalisation of a bilateral arrangement with the Italian authorities in relation to the operation of the mission and the landing of persons rescued. A date for deployment of L.É. Eithne will be determined when the diplomatic arrangements have been finalized.

The number of search and humanitarian operations undertaken in the period April 2015 to December 2016 is 128. Six (6) Naval Vessels have deployed to the Mediterranean resulting in the rescue of over 15,600 migrants. The rescued persons were all brought to ports in Sicily or mainland Italy. The ports of safety were Palermo, Taranto, Catania, Messina, Brindisi, Porto Embedode, Coriglianio Calabro, Vibo Valentua, Caligiara, Trapani, Pozzalo and Augusta.