Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his introduction.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses seems to be straightforward. There obviously is a need for some kind of legislation and agreement to protect international waters and it seems to be commonsense. I do not see any problem with it.

The only question I wanted to ask relates to the committee's role. What is the committee's role? Where do we sit in this? Presumably, we will approve or reject this today. There is a motion here to be approved. Is there primary legislation needed or are there any legislative measures that have to be taken? I note that the convention dates from May 1997 at the United Nations and it seems like commonsense and the right thing to do, but the Minister might outline where is the committee's role in this and what has to happen, or has something already happened in the Dáil Chamber, to give this legal standing.