Jim Glennon (Dublin North, Fianna Fail)

If the law could be changed as glibly and with such facility as a comment across the floor of the House, it would be a great thing to do. It would be wonderful if it were all that simple. The Deputy knows that Irish law cannot be extended to an area over which the State has no jurisdiction. Irish law cannot be applied automatically to a ship sailing in and out of Ireland or indeed to an aircraft. Ireland once had a fine merchant shipping fleet and it is a pity it is no longer there. Irish ships sailing into international ports would not wish to be subjected to the laws of certain countries nor should they be expected to be.

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