Source: Government of Ireland
ata-block-key=”kg6bj”>The Minister for Defence, Helen McEntee TD, today (Monday, 25 May) expressed her regret that the United Nations Security Council has not renewed its mandate for the EU Mediterranean naval mission, Operation Irini, which lapsed on 24 May.
Ireland currently has four personnel deployed to the mission, whose participation is contingent on a UN mandate, which is central to Ireland’s engagement in European Union Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) in these types of operations.
Arising from the failure to renew the mandate, the Defence Forces personnel currently serving with the mission will now cease their participation in Operation Irini.
The Minister met some of those personnel this morning in Rome and thanked them for their service to the operation and its mandate and objectives.
Speaking today, Minister McEntee said:
“It is a matter of deep regret that the United Nations Security Council mandate for Operation Irini has been allowed to lapse without renewal.
“The Mission, which is undertaking very valuable work in the Central Mediterranean Sea has clear benefits for the Defence Forces, in terms of the participation of personnel from across the services – but most particularly in terms of the Air and Naval Service focus and opportunity.
“During the summer of the 2023, LÉ William Butler Yeats participated in this mission which provided both a significant contribution to the Operation as well as a valuable experience for our sailors.
“Unfortunately, and despite clear support among Member States and the European External Action Service for the continuation of Operation IRINI, the absence of a UN mandate means Ireland cannot continue to participate, thus requiring the withdrawal of Defence Forces personnel from the mission, as I advised the Dáil earlier this month.
“This situation and the necessity to withdraw Defence Forces personnel from this mission illustrates clearly the constraints in which we have to operate because of the requirements of the Triple Lock.
“I have been consistently very clear that any considerations on engagement in international peacekeeping should be within Ireland’s exclusive sovereign control and decision-making on this should be purely within the remit of the Government and Oireachtas, which have been democratically elected by the people of this country.”