Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 January 2019
59. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on discussions he has had with his European counterparts with regard to the recent reports of 170 migrants missing in the Mediterranean Sea; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3967/19]
View answerI am deeply troubled by the recent reports of 170 migrants missing in the Mediterranean Sea. Any death at sea is tragic.
Saving lives at sea is a priority for Ireland and for this reason we have been active in operations to tackle people-trafficking in the Mediterranean since 2015, first through Operation Pontus, a bilateral agreement between Ireland and Italy running in parallel to Operation Sophia. Ireland has been a full member of Operation Sophia since 2017. Since 2015, Irish naval vessels have rescued thousands of migrants in the Mediterranean.
In June, the European Council reconfirmed that a precondition for a functioning EU policy on migration relies on a comprehensive approach to migration which combines effective controls of the EU's external borders, external action to strengthen co-operation with countries of transit and origin and dealing with the management of migrants within the European Union, where a balance of solidarity and responsibility is needed.
In addition, Ireland has provided humanitarian assistance in solidarity with other Member States on four separate occasions by making pledges to take migrants who were rescued in the Mediterranean Sea and to process their applications for international protection. On 9 January, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan, T.D., announced that Ireland will accept five unaccompanied minors from Malta as a gesture of solidarity and humanitarian assistance.
Ireland also supports measures to address the root causes of irregular migration, through humanitarian and developmental programmes in developing countries. Indeed, Ireland’s pledge of €15 million for the EU’s Trust Fund for Africa is the third highest per capita contribution by an EU Member State.
Solving the migration crisis will ultimately require deeper political, economic and development relationships between the EU and neighbouring countries, including many in Africa, that will form a basis for dealing with a variety of challenges on the basis of shared responsibility.
