Minister Regrets Non-Renewal of UNSC Mandate for EU Mediterranean Naval Mission

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."

• EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, the UN-mandated EU Naval Operation in the Mediterranean, was launched on 31 March 2020. Its current EU mandate runs until 31 March 2027 and is headquartered in Rome.
• Twenty-four Member States contribute, with three ships, four aircraft and one remotely piloted aircraft system currently deployed. Ireland currently contributes four personnel (three at Operational Headquarters (OHQ and one at Force Headquarters (FHQ)).
• Operation IRINI’s core task is to contribute to the implementation of the UN arms embargo on Libya through the use of aerial, satellite and maritime assets. In particular, the mission is mandated to carry out inspections of vessels on the high seas off the Libyan coast suspected to be carrying arms or related material to and from Libya in violation of the arms embargo on Libya. It does this in accordance with relevant UNSC Resolutions (UNSCR), in particular UNSCR 2292 (2016), which expired on 24 May 2026.
• EUNAVFOR MED IRINI is also mandated to:
  • monitor and gather information on illicit exports from Libya of petroleum, crude oil and refined petroleum product;
  • contribute to the capacity building and training of the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy;
  • contribute to the disruption of the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks through information gathering and patrolling by aircraft.