Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to set the record straight on a range of matters, given the debate we have just had. First, this legislation updates and clarifies the law relating to the maritime jurisdiction of the State into a single accessible stand-alone enactment. It describes the different maritime zones of national jurisdiction recognised by international law. It sets out the State's sovereign and jurisdictional rights in each of these zones, and it confers powers on the Government to delineate the zones in domestic law. Those zones are the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, EEZ, and the continental shelf. However, as the Government has pointed out in debates on this Bill on a number of occasions and on different Stages, how the State then decides to exercise those jurisdictional rights is left to separate legislation beyond the scope of this Bill. It is important we try to address the legislation we are looking to pass through the Houses this evening rather than something else.

On the amendments, I understand amendment No. 2 has been disallowed. I would like to address amendment No. 3 in some detail and to answer some of the other questions relating to Rockall and agreements signed at different periods.

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