Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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441. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence when he and-or the relevant Minister of State and his Department were each first notified of the proposed military exercises by the Russian Federation which were originally proposed to be conducted in Ireland’s exclusive economic zone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11187/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy has highlighted, Russian naval exercises took place off the south west coast of Ireland in early February in an area outside Ireland's EEZ. My Department was informed of the planned exercises on Thursday 20th January via notification received from the Department of Transport. The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) was informed of the planned exercises by Russian Authorities via standard procedures and issued a statement to that effect.

These exercises were originally planned to take place inside Ireland's EEZ. 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 passage through this area. This is not in any way an infringement of our national territory. Foreign militaries are not obliged in most cases to inform the coastal authorities of their proposed activities.