Diplomatic negotiations are continuing this evening in the standoff over Rockall.
It is now one week since the Scottish government issued its ultimatum to Irish fishermen that they would be boarded if they continued to fish near the barren rock.
Our Government was told that “enforcement action” would be next on the cards if our fishing fleet didn’t back down.
Since then negotiations between senior government officials on both sides have intensified, with the hope that neither side will escalate matters.
For our part, Tánaiste Simon Coveney has said that we will not be sending our navy to the disputed waters 300 miles off the North West coast.
Instead, diplomacy has been chosen as the best way to try and break the deadlock.
However, Sinn Féin Senator, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, demanded answers from the Government on the role of its senior members in the 2013 agreement between the British and Irish Governments.
This established a Single Maritime Boundary between their Exclusive Economic Zones and parts of their Continental Shelves.
“There are serious and growing questions for senior Government figures over this latest Rockall controversy.
“The 2013 agreement was signed by then Tánaiste Eamonn Gilmore. Fishing industry representatives say the agreement, which effectively concedes Rockall to the UK, was made without any consultation – either with them or the wider public.
“Tánaiste Simon Coveney was Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine at the time.
“Fishing industry representatives also say that not only were they never consulted on the establishment of the boundaries, they were also subsequently not made aware of this.
“This is a serious situation and the Taoiseach and Tánaiste need to clarify why and how this was allowed to happen.”
