Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 December 2020
367. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Defence the information his Department or the Defence Forces hold on the widely reported operations of a vessel (details supplied) in or around 27 July 2020 in Irish waters; if he will provide such information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44143/20]
View answerMy Department is aware of a UK naval ship conducting an exercise off the North West coast of Donegal in July. The location where the Royal Navy ship was conducting training exercises was within the Irish EEZ. However the ship did not enter into Irish territorial waters. This is not in any way an infringement of our national territory.
It is not unusual for naval ships of other States, including the UK, to carry out a training exercise within the Irish EEZ. Whether this was a UK, Spanish, French or other naval ship they would be within their rights to carry out a training exercise.
While advance notice from the UK authorities about the exercise would have been welcome, this was not a requirement and the UK authorities have not done anything out of the ordinary in this instance.
