Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 1 Mar 1990

Vol. 396 No. 5

Written Answers. - Submarines in the Irish Sea.

Peter Barry

Question:

53 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has raised at the Council of Ministers the danger posed to trawlers by the movement of submarines in the Irish Sea; if the Council of Ministers have made any recommendations in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Collins)

The issue raised by the Deputy has not been discussed by the Council of Ministers. It has been the view of member states that questions relating to maritime safety should be considered on a global, rather than on a regional basis and that in this context the most appropriate forum is the International Maritime Organisation.

The safety of Irish vessels at sea is a matter of serious concern to the Government and in 1987 Ireland launched an initiative at the International Maritime Organisation, aimed at focusing attention on the problem of the dangers which submarines pose to fishing and to other vessels. The inititive culminated in our sponsorship of a resolution which highlighted the dangers. This resolution was adopted unanimously. Since then the Government have availed of every opportunity to raise the subject in the appropriate international fora, including at the United Nations, where the Taoiseach, Deputy Haughey, referred to the matter as one of considerable concern, in the course of his address to the Third Special Session on Disarmament in June 1988. I recently raised the matter again at the 44th UN General Assembly in New York where I called for a new sense of international responsibility on the part of those who operate submarines. The Government intend to continue to focus international attention on the problem.