asked the Minister for Defence if he has any plans to provide sea and air protection for the projected offshore oil and gas installations.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Offshore Installation Protection.
57.
The matter is being kept under review.
Is the Minister aware of an announcement recently in the public Press to the effect that Great Britain is embarking immediately on a comprehensive programme in this regard? Would that not indicate to him that something more elaborate on our part is called for than keeping the matter under review?
Under section 3 of the Continental Shelf Act, 1968, the criminal and civil law of Ireland is extended to installations in designated areas. Therefore, it is probable that the Naval Service would be involved with the Department of Justice in dealing with any breach of the law. Any further involvement would require considerable addition to existing ships and aircraft resources, supporting, maintenance and training facilities.
It is considered that a period of at least five years will elapse between a major find of gas or oil and the commercial exploitation, that is, the delivery of saleable products ashore. The firm which found gas off Kinsale expect to have a well in production before 1978 at the earliest. The matter is being kept under review. A new naval vessel is on the way and the law of the sea which was the subject of a conference in Caracas last year is the subject of a conference this year in Geneva. We are keeping the whole thing under review as much as possible in the knowledge that, perhaps, if the area we have to police for poaching alone is extended, as some nations believe it will be, there may be very much heavier demands on the Naval Service. This is part of the problem.
In view of the fact that Great Britain, which has a very large naval fleet and a considerable air force and which will not have anything like the coastline and area of sea involved that we will have, has deemed it necessary to embark on a specific programme in this regard, does the Minister not consider that at this stage something more should be done than keeping the situation under review? As we know that phrase is a euphemism for the fact that nothing is being done. Can the Minister give me some assurance that at least some positive thinking is taking place?
The Deputy may rest assured that there is plenty of positive thinking in the Department of Defence.
In this regard?
In this regard and in all regards.