asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the measures being taken to protect Irish trawlers from damage or sinking by submerged submarines in the Irish sea; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

41.

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the actions, if any, he proposes to take to alleviate the threat to our fishing vessels from nuclear carrier submarines passing through Irish waters.

The safety of Irish vessels at sea is a matter of continuing concern to the Government. We are aware of several incidents involving trawlers and submerged submarines in the Irish Sea, including most recently the incident on 18 February 1987 off the coast of County Down. The Government are of the view that the best possibility for effective action lies in the international Maritime Organisation (IMO), the worldwide intergovernmental body whose aims and purposes include the encouragement of the adoption of the highest practicable standards in matters concerning maritime safety.

As has been previously indicated to the Dáil, Ireland has sponsored an initiative in this organisation which seeks to focus attention on the problems posed to fishermen by submarine traffic with a view to securing a halt to the incidents which have caused material and personal damage to fishing vessels in recent years in the Irish Sea and in other waters. The Government intend to promote this initiative vigorously in order to secure its acceptance at the biennial meeting of the Assembly of the IMO in November this year. We trust that this initiative, once added to the code of practice agreed in the IMO, will contribute to greater safety in the Irish Sea and elsewhere.

Will the Minister agree that the only effective means of providing safety from this particular and unusual hazard to our fishermen in the Irish Sea is to have an international agreement banning such vessels from using that sea and will he seek agreement among the users of the Irish Sea for that purpose that they will seek to use it for that purpose?

I accept, of course, that that is the ideal but the ideal is not always practicable in international affairs.

I ask the Minister at least to pursue the ideal.

I will certainly do that.

Will the Minister outline the initiatives he is proposing, or has proposed, to the IMO and what chance he expects the initiatives will have of success? I should also like to ask the Minister if he regards this problem as having two aspects. Many of the submarines using the Irish Sea carry nuclear warheads. There is a double jeopardy there in that vessels travelling in the Irish Sea are at risk from the submarines travelling under water. There is a very high risk of accidents with these submarines. That specific aspect should be looked at and promoted.

Basically the initiative is aimed at getting agreement on the avoidance of areas of the ocean that are known to be fishing grounds. Broadly speaking, that is what is involved. As I said in reply to Deputy Stagg, while we can have a resolution of that kind passed by the International Maritime Organisation, it is purely by way of an admonition. We do not have any mandatory or compulsory power in it. If the big powers want to avoid it, they can do so. At least it is a start and it will carry some moral force if a resolution, decision or convention is adopted declaring known fishing grounds to be out of bounds so far as submarine traffic of this kind is concerned.

Question No. 14 has been disposed of.