asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if any progress has been made in the preparation of a fisheries development programme with a view to availing of aid from the FEOGA fund for restructuring the inshore fishing industry.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Inshore Fishing Industry.
36.
The EEC Commission proposals for aiding the restructuring of the Community's inshore fishing industry which were put forward in November, 1975, have not yet been adopted. Our existing plans for the development of the fishing industry will provide the basis for applications under the new scheme when it comes into operation. Meanwhile, fishery projects will continue to be eligible for aid form the FEOGA Individual Projects Scheme.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary state if he is preparing any new plans for submission to the EEC in respect of aid from the FEOGA fund?
This is an ongoing question. A number of discussions are being held at departmental level between our officials and EEC officials. Possibly some new plans may have to be formulated arising from the recent agreement negotiated by the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware of the recommendations made last June by the Joint Committee on EEC Legislation to the effect that the fisheries division should prepare a detailed plan for submission to the EEC for aid from FEOGA? There is a separate allocation now in that fund for aid for the fishing industry. What is the Parliamentary Secretary doing about this? Has he taken any note of the recommendations the Joint Committee made last June?
We have submitted plans which are being discussed and which are under consideration. In the meantime, the present rate of FEOGA grants will apply. I cannot say when the finance scheme will be adopted.
In view of what the Parliamentary Secretary has said in reply to Deputy Daly, would he agree that the attempt by the Minister for Foreign Affairs after the talks in The Hague to convey the impression that he has secured agreement for an Irish fishery development programme was totally misleading?
Not at all. There is nothing further from the truth. The Minister for Foreign Affairs had a very difficult job leading the team which negotiated this agreement in view of the fact that Fianna Fáil made no preparation during the original negotiations in 1970, 1971 and 1972. That is a statement of fact.
(Interruptions.)
We are getting into another area.
We are not interested in history. We are interested in today.
This has a bearing on what happened within the past month. The Minister had an exceptionally difficult task to perform in view of the fact that fisheries were completely overlooked by Fianna Fáil in the original negotiations for our accession to the EEC.
Deputies
Nonsense.
We will leave the party propaganda aside for the moment. We will deal with this Bill——
(Interruptions.)
Let us proceed rationally and calmly by question and answer.
I want to ask the Parliamentary Secretary a specific question. Is it true that the gist of what he is now saying is that there is no fishery development programme published by him or the Department and to that extent what the Minister for Foreign Affairs tried to convey to the Irish public after The Hague talks was a total misleading misconception of the position?
Let us not enter into the realm of argument.
It was neither misleading nor a misconception.
It was a deception.
It was a great achievement in the circumstances. I, as the person with responsibility for fisheries, am quite satisfied, having being present at a number of talks, that the Minister could not do better. The fishing industry were fortunate to have the Minister for Foreign Affairs there in place of the Deputy. I have great respect for the Deputy in a fight.
I am moving to other business. It is past Question Time.
(Interruptions.)
A final supplementary. Would the Parliamentary Secretary agree that the only real basis for an Irish fishery development programme is an exclusive 50-mile limit for fishermen? Would he also agree that the alleged promise the Minister for Foreign Affairs got to double our catch during a period of three years is simply a face saving device with no meaning or reality behind it?
It was not in 1976 that this Parliamentary Secretary got into his mind that an exclusive fishing band was essential for the development of our fisheries. He had that in mind since he became a Member of this Dáil in 1951, throughout the fifties, sixties and seventies. It was only in 1976 that the Fianna Fáil Party got into their mind that an exclusive fishery band was essential because the emphasis was on free access with a possibility of getting a three-mile exclusive band in the negotiations carried out by them in 1970 and 1971.
(Interruptions.)
The only exclusivity mentioned was the possibility of three miles and the renegotiations were not to expand our bands or the rights that existed and to preserve the status quo but rather to depress it and bring it towards the ultimate aim of the Community at that time——
(Interruptions.)
Order.
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Parliamentary Secretary's reply, I wish to raise the matter on the Adjournment.
I will communicate with the Deputy. The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.