Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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100. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if any incursions into Irish territorial waters have taken place in the past eight months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48904/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Neither my Department nor the Defence Forces have any record of any incursions into Irish Territorial Waters during the past eight months.

The Naval Service and Air Corps carry out ongoing Maritime Defence and Security Operations within Irish territorial waters and the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) allows for all vessels, including military vessels, to transit through the territorial waters of coastal states when conducting innocent passage (as defined by art. 19 of UNCLOS). Furthermore, naval vessels are permitted to conduct exercises outside of territorial waters in a country’s Exclusive Economic Zone so long as this does not unduly interfere with the Coastal State. Any vessels transiting Irish waters must do so in compliance with international law and may be subject to sighting and observation by the Naval Service and Air Corps without their innocent passage being infringed.

Infringement of these obligations under international law would be a serious matter and would be addressed by the Government accordingly.