Irish Government is waving the white flag on Rockall says Donegal TD – Derry Journal

He called on his fellow Donegal TD and the Minister for the Marine, Charlie McConalogue to stand up for Donegals fishermen and to withdraw the Marine Jurisdiction Bill from the Dil tonight, Wednesday, that puts British control of Rockall into Irish law.

He said: Since the EU/ UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement came into effect on January 1st of this year, boats and fishermen from Donegal have been blocked by the British authorities from fishing in their traditional fishing grounds in the 12-mile limit around Rockall.

I have raised this repeatedly with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for the Marine, Charlie McConalogue and almost seven months on, there is no sign of a solution. Despite repeated assurances and denials from consecutive Irish governments, an agreement with the British government in 2014 and other similar agreements in the past, have led to the shameful handing away of our fishing rights to these waters. Rather than tear up or even renegotiate these agreements, the Irish government is doubling down and putting them into Irish law. This is astonishing and a kick in the teeth to our Donegal fishermen.

He continued: The government intends to put the controversial 2014 Agreement between Ireland and Britain on the maritime boundary of each country into law through this Maritime Jurisdiction Bill. That agreement was never scrutinised, debated, and voted on in the Houses of the Oireachtas in contravention of the Constitution and its legal standing is heavily disputed. That agreement has also been further discredited by Brexit and the changeover of control of key fishing waters from the mutual control of the EUs Common Fisheries Policy over to the exclusive control of Britain.

It is truly shocking that the Irish government are not only not seeking to renegotiate this agreement but now they are waving the white flag and strengthening the hand of the British government.

I am calling on my fellow Donegal TD and the Minister for the Marine, Charlie McConalogue to stand up for the rights of our Donegal fishermen and to withdraw this bill.

Originally posted here:

Irish Government is waving the white flag on Rockall says Donegal TD - Derry Journal