Rockall Island Ownership
Dail Éireann — 2022-02-10
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Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (SF), Donegal

The problem is that we are one year on and what is happening is absolutely outrageous. I do not believe, for example, that the French President, Emmanuel Macron, would tolerate his fishermen being treated like this. We saw his response to the British Government when it pushed the boat in that scenario. It is astonishing that, one year on, I am getting exactly the same response from the Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs as we got a year ago. Internationally, the British claim on Rockall is not accepted. It is a very audacious and provocative claim and it is not accepted. Why are we allowing the British Government to enforce a blockade of our fishermen around Rockall when the British claim is not recognised internationally? Why have we not taken this to international arbitration? It is absolutely astonishing what is being allowed to happen and it reflects the lack of respect for our fishermen from too many Governments.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2022-02-10/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:50:07+00:00
Sitting date: 2022-02-10