asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will arrange to undertake a survey of the natural resources of the ocean bed on the Rockall bank and superjacent waters.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rockall Resources Survey.
1.
The answer to the Deputy's question is "no".
The Minister will be aware that, as his colleague the Minister for Foreign Affairs has said, we are actually in dispute with the British Government over the exploration rights in this area. Does the Minister not think it reasonable in those circumstances that we should at least know what it is we are in dispute about? How are the Government expected to be aware of what resources may be there?
The key to my answer lies in the fact that, as the Deputy correctly says, we are in dispute and a more amplified answer inevitably gets into the area of jurisdictional dispute which, appropriately, is a matter for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs transferred the question to the Minister for Industry and Commerce on 26th July, when I asked if any survey had been undertaken. The Minister for Industry and Commerce then said that no survey had been undertaken. Now I am asking if the Minister for Industry and Commerce would arrange for such a survey and he flatly says no. Does the Minister not think that having regard to the resources that may be there it would seem at least reasonable to a Minister who is setting up a company to look after our offshore resources, that we should at least know what it is we are arguing about? Otherwise, we shall have to rely on the findings of the British Government in this matter.
I can appreciate, and even agree with, the general direction of the Deputy's remarks but he is also aware that at a time when there is an effort to resolve the jurisdictional dispute on a reasonable basis it is appropriate not to do anything at this moment that would exacerbate the difficulties.
I appreciate that the concern of the Government seems to be not to exacerbate but does the Minister seriously suggest that simply doing a survey of what may be ours by virtue of proprietory rights or under international agreement would be exacerbating anything? We should at least know what it is that we are in dispute or in consultation about. Is it not a fact that the Government are totally in dereliction of their duty in not doing so?
The Chair cannot give much more latitude on this question.
I would emphatically reject the last point and I would also point out to the Deputy that the only way to know in detail what is in any particular part of the sea floor, even with all modern techniques, is to make borings there. I would emphasise again that I used the phrase "at this time" in reply to a previous supplementary question. My own feeling is that I cannot enter the jurisdictional aspect of the matter because it is not proper to me but I would urge the Deputy to recognise that if we can get a reasonable, calm and agreed solution, that is the appropriate thing to do. We cannot find out the fine details without making drillings.
Deputy Brennan.
Finally——
The Chair has called Deputy Brennan.
I should like to ask the Minister, in regard to his reference to negotiations, would he not agree that any negotiations would be very much influenced by a knowledge of the potential wealth of the area which would be under one jurisdiction or another? Would it not be well to know beforehand whether it is worth all the trouble and therefore to have some prospecting done?
I think there is no way in which one can know in detail. The rights and wrongs of where the demarcation line ought to be should not be influenced by whether what is there is great or small.
But it is influencing the British all the same.
I indicated at the outset that I have difficulty in dealing with this; it is not appropriate to my Department to enter the jurisdictional area, the area of jurisdictional dispute.
Do I hear the Minister correctly? Is he affirming that he refuses to trespass on another Minister's territory?
I fear we are entering the realm of argument now.
Finally, may I take it that in view of what the Minister said about "at this time", while he said "no" initially, he has not closed his mind—I am not particularly happy with this—to the fact that we should at some appropriate time, as the Minister might say, have such a survey undertaken?
I entirely accept that.