Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This is outrageous. There is no basis in international law for putting a nautical mile limit around an uninhabited rock. There is no basis for this under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS. It is absolute nonsense. How on earth is the Government tolerating this? How is it not being taken to international arbitration? Why did the Government sign off on the Maritime Jurisdiction Act on access for the British Government to and control of the area at a time when it is negotiating to reinstate our traditional fishing grounds to our fishermen? Who on earth would tolerate that?

We talk about Brexit and the attitude of the Tories. They have arbitrarily kicked Irish fishermen out of our traditional fishing grounds, with no international legal basis for doing so. I have raised this issue many times over the past two years on the floor of the House and nothing has been done about it. The Government has not called this out internationally or gone for international arbitration. How many times does the Government have to talk to these people before it does what is right by international law?

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