asked the Minister for External Affairs if there are any further negotiations to extend the territorial waters of the State to protect fishing interests.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Extension of Territorial Waters.
26.
If the Deputy will refer to my reply to a similar question on the 26th November last he will see that I indicated that it was probable that the Second Conference on the Law of the Sea to discuss this matter would be held in the coming summer. This was the date adopted by the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations but the plenary meeting of the assembly adopted an amendment, which the Irish delegation opposed, to defer the second conference until the spring of 1960.
It is not necessary for me to stress again the desirability that any extension of territorial seas or exclusive fishery limits should be achieved in the context of what is acceptable internationally rather than by unilateral action. The system of drawing straight base lines from which to measure the breadth of those limits was, however, adopted at the Geneva Conference last year and reduced to a Convention now signed by 44 States.
The system of straight base lines has been under active consideration with a view to its application to the Irish coast, and I propose to introduce a Bill to deal with the matter at the earliest practicable date.