“That would allow us to go back to the situation as it was between 1960 and 2016 where Northern Ireland and Ireland allowed each other’s vessels enter the six-mile limit”.
He added: “It would be helpful from the United Kingdom side if they gave us an assurance that they don’t intend to take Northern Ireland out of the London convention because that would just create the same problem North of the border. Mr Varadkar stressed he was not blaming the gardaí or the Navy for the arrests or for “enforcing the law”, and neither was he telling them “not to enforce the law”.
Fianna Fáil fisheries spokesman Pat “the Cope” Gallagher confirmed his party, as well as Sinn Féin and other parties would meet Government representatives next week in an effort to resolve the issue.