I am very pleased to have this opportunity to brief the House on the outcome of my negotiations at the recent fisheries council on the blue whiting quota allocation.
To fully appreciate the outcome of those negotiations for Ireland, the House should be aware of the background and circumstances in which we were operating.
The Commission's proposal for allocating the EU blue whiting quota emerged at the end of May. My fundamental opposition to the Commission's proposal and that of the Irish fishing industry was made clear from the start. The commission's proposal from all perspectives was questionable and inequitable. The commission's allocation methodology was seriously flawed and skewed in favour of other member states, giving some of them quotas equal to 150 per cent of their highest ever catch. Ireland on the other hand was being allocated the equivalent of only 40 per cent of its average catch over the last three years. The House should be aware however that, with the exception of the UK, all other member states were in favour of the commission's proposal. We were facing into council with the very strong prospect of a done deal based on qualified majority. I took immediate and sustained action before the council to ensure that the German Presidency was fully aware that this was a matter of vital national interest for Ireland and that in this case qualified majority could not be allowed to roll over the direct interests of a small member state. The Taoiseach was in contact with Chancellor Schroeder before and during the Cologne Summit and I maintained intensive dialogue with Minister Funke before and at the Fisheries Council. I also kept the fishing organisations fully briefed on the action I was taking to have this seemingly unstoppable proposal reversed.