Call for naval service humanitarian work in Med to be extended to winter

The Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI) has asked the Taoiseach to extend the Irish Naval Service’s humanitarian mission in the Mediterranean into the winter months.

ICI chief executive, Brian Killoran, praised the crews of the LÉ Eithne and LÉ Niamh for saving over 5,000 lives since their deployment last May to help Italian authorities in the humanitarian search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean.

The Defence Forces committed to the operation until September, but, in a letter to Taoiseach Enda Kenny yesterday, Mr Killoran appealed to the government to consider extending the Defence Forces involvement in the mission.