I raise the issue of Rockall in view of the unilateral illegal decision by the Scottish Government last Friday. Will the Taoiseach confirm whether the issue of fishing rights around Rockall was raised when he met the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, some weeks ago, particularly given that discussions have been taking place over the past two years between Ministers and officials? Would the Taoiseach accept that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of December 2012 decided that no rock without economic activity would confer rights on any country to declare an economic zone or continental shelf? What steps does the Taoiseach propose to take to defend the rights of Irish fishing vessels that have fished unhindered in these waters for decades? Has the Taoiseach or his Minister communicated with the European Commission as this is also a Common Fisheries Policy issue?

Many west Cork fishermen fish the waters off Rockall. In the Taoiseach's discussions with Nicola Sturgeon, did fishing in any aspect arise? What is the current position with the negotiations that are ongoing? This is more important than squid and haddock. What is at stake is how fishermen will be treated during the Brexit process.

On 3 April I raised serious concerns on the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill with the Taoiseach. I felt it was being rushed through the Dáil without any pre-legislative scrutiny. I pleaded that we would have more time to weigh up all concerns but Fine Gael, joined by Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin, voted to hand over our fishermen's rights in the zone up to six nautical miles off our coastline. Only weeks later, we have found out that the Tánaiste, Deputy Coveney, and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Deputy Creed, have both received a formal letter from the Scottish Government stating that it will ban any Irish vessel fishing within 12 miles of Rockall. Irish fishing vessels have operated unhindered in the Rockall zone for many decades, fishing haddock, squid, and other species. The actions of the Scottish Government to protect what it regards as its own waters will have a detrimental effect on the livelihoods of many Irish fishermen. Will the Taoiseach intervene and achieve an urgent solution to this worrying crisis?

The matter was not raised at my recent meeting with the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, but it has been discussed by the Tánaiste and his counterpart, and by the Minister, Deputy Creed. The European Commission has been informed of the matter.

Rockall is a rock, essentially a sea stack in the middle of the ocean. It is uninhabitable and uninhabited, and it is not something that Ireland and Scotland should fight over. We do not have a claim to it and we do not accept any other sovereign claim to it. We believe the fishing territory around it should be shared. The Irish vessels which are fishing in those waters have EU quota and these waters are part of EU waters. Under the Common Fisheries Policy, we believe they are within their rights to continue to fish in the area around Rockall.

The views of Scotland and Ireland have differed on this issue for some time, but we have built a strong and positive relationship to our mutual benefit over many years. In light of the most recent developments, dialogue continues between the Irish and Scottish Governments and there have been close contacts at official level in recent days to de-escalate tensions. The matter was discussed at Cabinet this morning and also at a meeting of the Scottish Government. We have agreed that dialogue should continue between the Irish and Scottish Governments. There have been close contacts at official level and these will continue. It has been agreed that a process of intensified engagement will take place, led by senior officials from both Administrations. Both Governments would like to see this matter de-escalated.