With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 20 together.
As the Deputies are aware, when agreement on delimitation of the Continental Shelf between Ireland and Britain could not be reached between the two Governments following lengthy negotiations we proposed to the British that the dispute be submitted to an arbitration tribunal. The British, after some delay, agreed to submit the question of delimitation to an independent settlement of disputes procedure through some form of third party settlement of a judicial nature. We are still in negotiation with the British on the form which the procedure should take. Representatives of our two Governments met in London in July last year and the British indicated they were still considering our proposal but were not yet in a position to agree to an ad hoc arbitration. We have continued to urge them to agree to the procedure and as I stated in the House last March I again indicated to the Minister of State at the British Foreign Office when I met him in Brussels recently the urgency of the matter.
It will be appreciated that agreement on the form of the third party settlement procedure is a matter which is of vital concern to both sides and one to which very detailed consideration of all aspects must be given.