Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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196. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his views on the Defence Forces' response to the presence of four Russian vessels inside the Irish EEZ, including the vessels Admiral Grigorovich and The Kama; the timeframe the vessels were inside the Irish EEZ; the monitoring operation that was undertaken; if the reason for the presence of these vessels is known; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22477/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Naval Service, as the State's principal sea-going agency, is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. While the main daily tasking of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with our obligations as a member of the EU, it also carries out a number of other non-fishery related tasks in tandem with maritime surveillance.

The Air Corps Maritime Patrol Squadron also supports this role providing aerial assistance to the Naval Service in patrolling the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) using the two CASA CN 235 maritime patrol aircraft which are equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance and communication equipment.

The Russian vessels mentioned by the deputy were observed inside the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) last month, entering the Irish EEZ on 26 April and exiting the Irish EEZ on 29 April. These ships were monitored by Naval Service vessels and Air Corps maritime patrol aircraft in advance of their arrival into the Irish EEZ and as they transited through the Irish EEZ. The vessels did not enter Irish territorial waters and their transit appears to have been routine.

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 EEZ 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.

It is not unusual for naval ships or civilian vessels of other States to carry out training exercises within the Irish EEZ or to passage through this area.

The Deputy will appreciate that for operational and national security reasons that it would not be appropriate to comment further on the specific details of these Defence Forces maritime patrols.