Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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74. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the most recent discussions between the Government and the UK Government on reinstating access for Irish fishers to their traditional fishing grounds at Rockall; if he is considering taking the matter to international arbitration, given the illegality of this long-standing blockade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36288/25]

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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I am asking this question on behalf of my colleague Pádraig Mac Lochlainn.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy knows, Rockall is a small, uninhabitable rock located approximately 160 nautical miles west of the Scottish islands of St. Kilda, and 230 nautical miles to the north west of Donegal. As the Deputy is aware, Ireland has not sought to claim sovereignty over Rockall. The UK claimed sovereignty over Rockall in 1955 and sought to formally annex it as part of Scotland under its 1972 Island of Rockall Act. The consistent position of successive Irish Governments has been that Ireland does not recognise Britain’s claim of sovereignty over Rockall. Accordingly, Ireland does not accept that a 12 nautical mile, 22 km, territorial sea exists around Rockall.

Ireland’s long-held view is that a rock incapable of sustaining human habitation does not allow for the creation of a territorial sea. Therefore, the agreement under the trade and co-operation agreement, TCA, relating to access to the UK 12 to 200 mile zone should apply inside the 12 nautical mile zone around Rockall. We understand that the UK takes a different view.

Irish vessels have traditionally fished for haddock, which is subject to a quota limit, and squid, which is not subject to a quota limit, in the waters around Rockall. Haddock may be caught both within and outside 12 nautical miles of Rockall, but squid is caught within six nautical miles of Rockall. Other stocks caught in the waters around Rockall, both within and outside of the 12-mile area, include monkfish and megrim.

I assure Deputy Mac Lochlainn that reaching an agreement on issues relating to Rockall remains an important issue for the Government. The Government continues to be in regular contact with the relevant Scottish and UK authorities on the issue of Rockall. Through this engagement, the Government is seeking to address the issues involved, reflecting the long-standing fisheries patterns in the area. I am committed to finding a way forward and will continue to work closely with the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Harris, on this issue. The Deputy will be aware that both the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach have raised this issue at diplomatic levels and will continue to do so. It is a matter that we would really like to resolve at the earliest possible opportunity.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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I apologise for being a little late and thank my colleague, Deputy Conor McGuinness, for introducing my question.

I appreciate that the Minister of State is new to his role but my difficulty is that what he has just read out was said to me again and again by the previous Minister for agriculture, Deputy McConalogue. This is an uninhabited rock and there is just no basis under international law for what the British are doing. It has cost millions of euro every year, not just for fishermen in Donegal, Greencastle and Killybegs, but all the way down to Castletownbere. Fishermen from around Ireland are affected. It is outrageous action. Basically, there is a blockade around the rock and threats to people's livelihoods for fishing in their traditional grounds. At some point, if the British Government will not do what is right, we have to look at international arbitration. It is outrageous that this has gone on for so long.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I note the Deputy's personal interest in this, as well as that of others in the area who have raised it consistently with me. It is a position that goes back to the 1955 situation and, obviously, Brexit then had a really negative effect from a fisher's perspective.

On Wednesday next, I am meeting the UK Minister with responsibility for fisheries, Mr. Daniel Zeichner and I intend to raise this in the context of a broader discussion around challenges facing our respective fishing industries. There will be other issues discussed too, and I do not want to give the impression to the House that the meeting is just about Rockall because it is not. I also intend, in the course of other meetings with the Scottish Minister and others, to discuss this matter at every available opportunity.

I note the Deputy's interest and his suggestion that arbitration may ultimately be the solution, or at least a pathway towards a solution. I will continue to work on this and keep the Deputy informed of any developments that arise in this area.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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I am mindful that the previous Scottish First Minister, Ms Nicola Sturgeon, according to reports in The Guardian newspaper, was trying to resolve this issue. Ultimately, it is a jurisdictional issue and the British Government has probably been let off the hook on this. The fisheries element of the TCA was recently extended by 12 years. That is very problematic because it locks down the loss of fisheries. I know the Minister of State is going to work to improve those quotas as a result but I would have thought this issue should have been resolved as part of that agreement at the time. This is bad faith, particularly by the Whitehall Government, but the Scottish Government has been a disappointment on this issue, too. They know these are our traditional fishing grounds and are very important to a fishing industry that is struggling. It is really long overdue that they did the right thing. I ask the Minister of State to strongly convey the view, with which both sides of the House would agree, that this has to stop and be resolved.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I will not be found wanting in conveying the feelings of this House. We are united on this issue. We are not always united on issues here but we are very united on trying to find a resolution to this. I am conscious that it has to be done through the diplomatic channels. I am also conscious that there are significant legacy issues and that, notwithstanding the view of some in this House that the securing of access to UK waters for the next 12 years is positive, we still have to recognise the loss of quota and the negative impact of that on our sector. I am also conscious that, on the other side, the British fishing sector believes it has lost significantly as a result of reciprocal access. There appear to be two losers in this debate. I recognise the British Government's difficulties in that regard. However, recognising that does not and will not preclude me from fighting the case for Irish fishers who have lost very specific quota in the first instance, not to mention the squid fishery, which was a really important part of their economic activity at a particular time of the year but is no longer available to them. We have to do everything we can to try to address that.