Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Given his party's particular approach to all-island matters, I thought it was a definition that might meet with his approval, but obviously not. I felt it was the right thing to do for those reasons. However, in the context of the Brexit negotiations, why would we gratuitously offend our nearest neighbour by not restoring what had existed in practice for many years? I admit we have to reflect further now on the basis that the UK has decided to unilaterally withdraw from the London Fisheries Convention. That does raise issues, but there are consequences also, in the context of that judgment, which are much more extensive than might appear at first hand. That was the rationale for the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill.

I want to deal with the issue of Lough Foyle. This is a jurisdictional issue and the Republic of Ireland is unapologetic in maintaining our claim of jurisdiction in Foyle. We have been trying to progress that almost since the foundation of the State, and to date there has been no meeting of minds on it. It is not an issue on which my Department is the prime mover in terms of the prosecution of that interest, but it has been and remains our objective to establish our jurisdiction in respect of Foyle. It has not been resolved to date. We are not recoiling from that. We are not moving one iota from that. That is our stated objective.