Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2022
394. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of negotiations with the British Government on the legal status of Lough Foyle; if his attention has been drawn to the negative consequences of the failure to reach an agreement on the issue in the years that have passed since the Good Friday Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14390/22]
View answerThe UK Government assertion of jurisdiction over the whole of Lough Foyle has never been accepted by Ireland and this position remains unchanged.
Following discussions in 2011 between the then Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the British Foreign Secretary, the British and Irish Governments agreed to seek to resolve jurisdictional issues relating to both Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough.
Since that time, a series of meetings and contacts have taken place at official level between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and my own Department. This engagement is ongoing and my Department is also continuing to consult with other relevant Departments on specific issues and concerns in relation to licensing of aquaculture in Lough Foyle.
The issues involved in these discussions are complex and involve a range of different actors, including the Crown Estates on the UK side, but the Government is satisfied that all sides are committed to reaching a positive resolution as soon as possible.
