Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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183. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will undertake an audit of each year in the past ten years in the matter of the reported training of Libyan militia by serving and/or former Irish Defence Forces personnel; if he will publish the results of such an audit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16056/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In response to the recent deeply shocking media reports alleging the training of members of the Libyan National Army by an Irish-based company and the possibility that such activity is in breach of UN sanctions or EU restrictive measures, I have taken a number of immediate actions, as follows

I have spoken with the Chief of Staff to outline my deep concern at the matters alleged, all of which need to be examined further;

My Department has referred the information received regarding these alleged activities to the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment, which is the competent authority in relation to breaches of trade sanctions. That Department has referred the matter to An Garda Síochána; and

I have asked my officials to give consideration to the need for further legislation to strengthen the safeguards in relation to the activities of both serving and former members of the Defence Forces in regions covered by UN or EU sanctions. Work in this regard is under way.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In response to the alleged activities of former members of the Defence Forces in the provision of training to members of the Libyan National Army, activities that may be in breaches of UN and EU sanctions, I have taken a number of immediate actions.

Among those actions, I have asked my officials to give consideration to the need for further legislation to strengthen the safeguards in relation to the activities of both serving and former members of the Defence Forces in regions covered by UN or EU sanctions. Work is this regard is underway.

I have also spoken with the Chief of Staff to outline my deep concern at the matters alleged, all of which need to be examined further.

Finally, on the basis of the information received and given the potential for a breach of UN sanctions or EU restrictive measures, my Department referred these activities to the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment, which is the competent authority in relation to breaches of trade sanctions. That Department has referred the matter to An Garda Síochána.