asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the response he has received to his protest to the British Ambassador about the near sinking of an Irish trawler by a British submarine early in September 1989.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Trawler in Submarine Incident.
18.
I take it that the Deputy is referring to the incident which occurred on 12 September last when a sonar buoy towed by a British submarine became entangled in the nets of a Skerries-based fishing vessel, the Contestor P in the Irish Sea some 25 miles from our coast.
The British Ambassador was asked to call on my Department the following day, 13 September. He was told of the Government's serious concern about the incident, which had to be seen against a background of a number of incidents in the past involving Irish and other fishing vessels. The ambassador was asked to convey to his authorities the Government's concern that measures be taken to prevent a recurrence of this incident and that adequate compensation should be paid.
The ambassador confirmed that a British Navy submarine's buoy had been caught up in the nets of the Contestor P. He said that the submarine was in international waters, marked on charts as a submarine exercise area, that the cable towing the sonar buoy gave way as it was designed to do when the buoy became entangled, and that the captain had ascended to periscope level to ensure that the vessel was not in danger. The captain had reported the matter at the same time to his authorities. The ambasador said that any damage caused to the vessel's nets was regretted and that the British Ministry of Defence would entertain any appropriate compensation claim. He said his embassy had already sent the owners a claim form for compensation.
While it is satisfactory that the British Government have accepted responsibility and offered to pay compensation would the Taoiseach agree that that does not get away from the fact we discussed earlier in the week, that the Irish Sea is becoming an extremely dangerous place for trawlers because of submarines. Furthermore, would he agree that as long as the NATO base remains located in Scotland — in the northern portions of the Irish Sea — as long as those submarines travelling up and down the Irish Sea are being shadowed by submarines from other superpowers this danger will remain? Would the Taoiseach use every avenue open to him, the Department of Foreign Affairs and others, to ensure that some solution is found to this problem before more lives are lost in the Irish Sea through submarine activities?
I will do that.
That disposes of questions for today.