More than 2,000 people have died so far this year trying to make the perilous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe, the International Organisation for Migration has said.
"Unfortunately, we have now reached a milestone whereby over 2,000 migrants and refugees have died as of this past weekend," IOM spokesman Itayi Virri told reporters in Geneva.
The organisation said around 188,000 people had been rescued so far this year trying to cross the Mediterranean.
The LÉ Niamh is currently on deployment in the Mediterranean as part of the humanitarian search and rescue operation and has rescued hundreds of migrants since it arrived in the region.
Last week the Irish naval vessel was involved in an operation, in which rescuers found 14 dead migrants on a boat off the coast of Libya.
More than 500 people were on board the wooden barge.
The bodies were found below the deck of the barge after everyone else had been transferred off.
