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

The answer to the Deputy's last question is that it is a matter for France. My job is to be well informed in regard to what is happening within our EEZ and our territorial waters. It really is a matter for France in terms of its own security exercises and so on outside of that.

Military exercises or manoeuvres are traditionally recognised as being a part of the freedom of the high seas, as captured under Article 87 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS. These rights are transcribed directly into the EEZs of coastal states. Under international law, including UNCLOS, states are entitled to carry out naval exercises in another state's EEZ. It is not unusual for naval ships or vessels of other states to carry out training exercises within the Irish EEZ or to make passage through the area. This is not in any way an infringement of our international territory in terms of international law. While foreign ministers are not obliged in most cases to inform the coastal authorities of their proposed activities, the Naval Service has collated some data on encounters with foreign navies in the Irish EEZ over the past number of years.

We are watching the situation closely but nothing that has happened over the past number of months is a breach of international law. It is because of our good diplomatic relations with other countries that we sometimes can change the direction of a decision by another country.

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