asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will indicate in relation to the Law of the Sea Conferences if the question of mining under the Continental Shelf arose and if any policy attitude was expressed on behalf of the Irish Government on the matter.
Written Answers. - Law of the Sea Conferences.
103.
The Law of the Sea Conference is not concerned solely with the Continental Shelf or with mining therein but among the matters it is considering is the question of the nature and extent of coastal State jurisdiction over the Continental Shelf.
At the conference the Irish delegation have supported proposals under which a coastal State would have sovereign rights over a Continental Shelf to the other edge of the margin or to a distance of 200 miles from the coast, whichever is further, for the purposes of exploring and exploiting its natural resources.