There is scope within the legislation to do what the Senator has talked about. I am conscious that the purpose of what we are trying to do here, which is what I mentioned in my initial reply, is very much around the consolidation of existing legislation. In that fact, I am trying to keep it to that as tight as possible. I fully understand and sympathise with the points that the Senator made about restoration. She has made a valid case but the issue is covered within what is there.

Section 15 deals with the criminal and civil jurisdiction of the State with regard to the economic exploration and exploitation of non-living natural resources in the exclusive economic zone. Section 19 deals with the same matters on the continental shelf. Senator Higgins has proposed four amendments that seek to substitute the word "or" for "and". I am advised, however, that the term "economic exploration" is the term used in the convention. Insofar as it concerns exploration, this is limited to the exploration fo…

I thank the Senator. I have no problem in considering the points she has raised today but, unfortunately, I am still not in a position to accept the amendments. I nonetheless take on board the points she is making quite clearly. I will look at them again before the legislation goes to the Dáil.

I thank the Senator. I listened to her comments but I refer again to the primary purpose of the legislation, which is consolidation. The amendments would add the word "living", as the Senator mentioned, to references in sections 15 and 19 to "non-living natural resources". My advice is this would not be possible as the purpose of the relevant provisions of these sections is to make it an offence to do something in connection with the economic exploitation and exploration of the non-living resources of the exclusive…

Section 18 deals with the rights and jurisdiction of the State in designated areas of the continental shelf. Both of these amendments would add to the sovereign rights of the State in its jurisdiction, going beyond what is recognised in the convention. As we have commented so many times on the various amendments, the key issue around them is transposing the convention. The Senator is also looking at other areas beyond that. As the purpose of the Bill is to give effect to the convention, it is not appropriate to ame…

The purpose of this legislation is the transposition of the convention. There will be other legislation and we addressed that on Second Stage. That will take care of other areas in the convention. I can look at what the Senator has raised and revert to her.

The amendment would also alter the terms of the convention, which would be reproduced here in section 18. The laying of a pipeline across Ireland's continental shelf would require a formal request, typically through diplomatic channels, by the state of nationality or registration of the pipeline operator. That is why only the term "state" is used here. Therefore, I am not in a position to accept the amendment.

The amendment will provide that the State would have the same sovereign rights and jurisdiction on the continental shelf as it has in the exclusive economic zone. I want to point out that because international law and maritime zones are developed in a piecemeal fashion, it is not surprising that there are differences between the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf. The continental shelf is the seabed of the exclusive economic zone. The legal regime of the exclusive economic zone is mainly concerned wi…

I appreciate the sentiment behind the Senator's amendment. The term "land" is already defined by section 2 of the 1976 Act, including land covered by water. The amendment is, therefore, unnecessary.

This obviously concerns the nature reserves and land owned by the State. It defines such lands, including any foreshore which belongs to the State and the land under the territorial sea of the State. Therefore, as I said, I cannot accept the amendment.

I thank Senators for their early consideration of this technical Bill that will establish in domestic law the framework of different maritime zones of national jurisdiction recognised under international law. Within those zones, a coastal state is entitled to regulate human activity only to the extent permitted by international law. States have different sets of rights in each zone, which I will explain shortly. It is important to emphasise at this point, however, that the purpose of the Bill is simply to establish…

Yes, I ask the Acting Chairperson to please bear with me. I will move quickly.

Section 15 clarifies the civil jurisdiction of the State. Sections 16 to 19 replace sections 2 and 3 of the Continental Shelf Act. Section 17 provides a power enabling the Government, by order, to designate seabed. Section 18 sets out the sovereign rights and jurisdiction enjoyed by the State. Section 19 clarifies the criminal and civil jurisdiction of the State. Section 20 provides a reference to any current statute. Section 21 provides that the UK Hydrographic Office charts may be used. Section 22 makes it an off…

I am conscious of the time. I know that many people have made contributions and I will endeavour to address some. I thank Senators for their consideration of the Bill and the contributions they made. As I indicated in my opening statement, the Bill will update and clarify the law relating to maritime jurisdiction of the State in a single, accessible, stand-alone enactment, describing the different maritime zones of national jurisdiction recognised by international law. It sets out the State's jurisdictional rights …

I thank the Deputy for raising what I agree is a very important issue. Ireland has promptly and publicly condemned the coercive forced landing of a Ryanair aircraft on Sunday last and the subsequent detention of Roman Protasevich and Sofia Sapega. We have raised our concerns over this incident with our EU and international partners, including at a meeting of UN Security Council members. We have also made Ireland’s position clear directly to the Belarusian Embassy in London. These acts, which endangered the lives of…

I fully agree with what the Deputy said about the seriousness of this act. There is no question but that the international hijacking, effectively, of an aircraft and forcing it to land is totally unacceptable. I reiterate we are working with our international partners in response to this. We are determined to ensure accountability and will continue to support measures that seek to make those responsible, not just for this but for all human rights violations in Belarus, accountable for their actions. The Irish peopl…

I thank Senator Mullen for raising this matter. The Department's authentication and apostille unit is responsible for the authentication of documents to be used abroad, as the Senator stated in his contribution. The unit provides the essential consular services to Irish citizens and businesses by verifying a document's origin and by confirming that a signature and seal or stamp appearing on it are genuine. The service, like many, has faced significant challenges in its operation during the Covid-19 pandemic. In lin…

Unfortunately, Senator Mullen expresses an alarming lack of knowledge on what it takes to produce a passport. There is not just a single machine, as I hope the Senator is well aware. In a number of instances, there is a process of authentication of documents and all the necessary things. These are essential protections to ensure our passports, which are highly valued-----

-----as passports are protected and not issued in error. Senator Mullen's figures on the Passport Office are, unfortunately, also out of date, as he may be aware from previous replies.

I beg Senator Mullen's pardon. First, he raised something which was not in his matter to which I am responding, because his lack of knowledge and information on it was regrettable.