asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if talks will be initiated with the Prime Ministers of Britain, Denmark and Iceland to decide the ownership of Rockall; the fishery and exploration rights surrounding that rock and other areas in dispute on the Continental Shelf and elsewhere in the Atlantic.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Continental Shelf Claims.
9.
The Deputy raises a number of issues in his question. In so far as the question related to Britain, he will be aware that an agreement on delimitation of the Continental Shelf between Ireland and Britain was signed in Dublin on 7 November 1988. The text of that agreement was debated and approved by the Dáil on 29 November 1988. It will enter into force when the necessary procedures, such as de-designation of a small area by Ireland, and the enactment of British legislation to give effect to the agreement, have taken place and notifications to that effect exchanged with the British.
The agreement settles between ourselves and Britain exploration and exploitation rights on part of the Continental Shelf known as the Rockall Plateau. As I informed the House, during the course of the debate on the agreement, ownership of Rockall and the fishery and exploration rights surrounding the rock were not dealt with in that agreement.
As Deputies are also aware, Denmark and Iceland have made very extensive claims to areas of the Rockall Plateau. These claims, which have been rejected by the Government, as well as the other issues identified in the question, remain to be resolved.
When the agreement delimiting the Continental Shelf between Ireland and Britain, which is a bilateral agreement affecting only the parties to it, has entered into force, any outstanding issues including the matters raised in the question will come up for consideration by the Government. In the interim I do not propose to take any initiative in the matter.
I asked the Minister specifically if he would initiate talks with the other three countries making claims but he does not seem to have answered that question.
Does the Deputy not appreciate that it would be utter madness to enter into any such talks with either Denmark or Iceland, that we have had extensive talks over a long period of years which my predecessor, Deputy Barry, helped further and that as a result of these talks we have reached an agreement with Britain, which has been debated in this House, delimiting what we see as our respective shares of the Continental Shelf. This agreement has been reached in respect of areas in dispute to some extent with Denmark and also with Iceland. With all due respect, the Deputy's suggestion makes nonsense in that context.
No, it does not. May I ask the Minister why he referred in his initial reply to the fact that there are claims by Iceland and Denmark to some of the grounds concerned.
That is what I am talking about.
The Minister dismissed the suggestion I made that he should initiate talks with the other two countries, as well as Britain, regarding the overall ownership of the area in question.
Does the Deputy not appreciate that we have reached our maximum position and that if we enter into talks with Denmark and Iceland it can only be at our expense. We are protected largely by reason of the fact that the British part of the Continental Shelf is between us and the Danish and Icelandic claims to a very great extent. We do not want the Danes or the Icelanders coming into the Rockall plateau area which we have divided with Britain. That is in our national interest.
They have made claims over it.
Of course, they have made claims, but I am not going to enter into talks with people whose claims we repudiate.
What is the legal basis of the agreement reached between ourselves and Britain? Can either country explore the areas or will they be open to court action from some other countries such as Denmark if they do so?
The areas we have delimited — and they account for a vast part of the Continental Shelf — between Britain and ourselves will, once the legal procedures are over, which they will be shortly, be open for exploration and exploitation as far as Britain and Ireland are concerned within their respective lines. We will proceed on that basis. No other claim has been lodged, although it has been made.
Deputy Ruairí Quinn.
How long do they have to lodge the claim?
Is the Deputy an Irish citizen or a Member of this House? What I am talking about is Ireland's national interest in maintaining its position. I am not interested in inviting the Danes or the Icelanders into a dispute with us.
That is a very offensive remark. I asked the Minister a simple question: how legal is the agreement and how long do the Danes or anybody else have to challenge the agreement.
It is a full agreement between Britain and ourselves and is a binding agreement between Britain and ourselves.
Deputy Ruairí Quinn has been called.
It is a binding, legal agreement.
I understand the Minister's difficulty but perhaps he will be able to clarify the matter for the entire House if he answers two questions.
Certainly.
Since this House, within its own sovereignty, agreed unanimously to the agreement reached between this country and the United Kingdom, I want to ask the Minister two questions. First, has any formal counterclaim from either Iceland or Denmark been formally received by the Minister's Department or by the Irish embassy in Copenhagen, and, second, have the Department of Energy now proceeded to prepare those blocks which would now be within our line of the division in the south Celtic Sea for international tender or auction in the normal manner?
The answer to the first part of the question is that no such claim has been lodged.
Thank you.
The answer to the second part of the question is that the Department of Energy are engaged on that process.
Can I ask the Minister——
Deputy Peter Barry for perhaps a final and relevant supplementary.
Have the British Government passed their legislation yet?
They have introduced it but they have not passed it yet.
I want to ask a final supplementary to that. Does that mean we are not free to explore our areas under the agreement until they pass their legislation? Is that correct?
Yes, technically that is right but it will be only a matter of a month or six weeks until they pass their legislation. The British are very anxious to conclude their legal procedures as well but we have been that bit faster thanks to our being facilitated in this House. We have concluded our arrangements but it is only a matter of two months at the outset until their legislation is passed.