Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 15 Feb 2024

Vol. 1049 No. 6

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Charlie McConalogue)

I thank the Dáil for scheduling this question-and-answer session. It is really important fisheries gets a strong airing here and in the committee. I always welcome the opportunity to do that and indeed I specifically requested we not have statements but statements, questions and answers because it is important to have the opportunity to discuss any of the key issues raised on the floor of the Dáil in order that they get discussed and teased out comprehensively.

As we know, the outcome of the Brexit negotiations had significant impact on fisheries sector and this is something the Government has recognised. We obviously worked hard to get the best outcome we possibly could but fishing undoubtedly took a hit with 15% of our quota impacted as a result of the Brexit negotiations. Coming out of that, I engaged comprehensively with the fishing sector to respond to that in respect of both working at European level to try to improve our situation with regard to quota and of pulling all the sector together. I worked on pulling together all the key fishing representatives to put together the seafood task force to set out advice for me on how we can best support the sector in the years ahead, how we can best maximise the fishing sector we have and how we can best improve it and build it up as well. All those stakeholders took part in the seafood task force and unanimously signed off on the final report of the task force in October 2021. That task force recommended support measures for the fishing fleet and for inshore fishermen, aquaculture and seafood processors, as well as for fisheries co-operatives and coastal communities.

To date, on foot of the task force recommendations, I have delivered an unprecedented €305 million worth of support schemes for development and restructuring to ensure we have a sector that is as profitable and sustainable as it possibly can be and to identify new opportunities for jobs and economic activity in coastal communities, for whom fishing is massively important. I followed through on the recommendations from that task force. The sector itself came up with those recommendations and I have followed through on all of them, let no dust come on that report and delivered on the recommendations.

Fisheries quotas are obviously the key issue and key raw ingredient that drives our fisheries sector. As I said, we saw a 15% hit to our national quota as a result of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. That had a disproportionate impact on Ireland. I have been to the fore in making clear we are disproportionately affected and in seeking to have that redressed at European level in any way we possibly can. I will continue to seek opportunities to increase our fishing opportunities in any way possible.

In 2023, through the EU-Norway agreement, I secured an additional 4,000 tonnes of blue whiting for Ireland. This provides fishers with a total blue whiting quota of 53,776 tonnes for 2023, which is worth in excess of €13 million. In addition, we secured a significant reduction in the level of Norwegian access to EU waters, and consequently obviously, Irish waters. That downward trend in Norwegian access continues in 2024, where the level of access is reduced to approximately 41%, compared with the 68% in place in previous years.

In addition, Ireland's contribution to the EU's transfer of blue whiting to Norway in 2024 is less than the 4% cap I established in previous years, meaning that more quota is available now for Irish fishers. That has been the track record over the four years I have done these negotiations with EU colleagues and the Norwegian Government. We have each year improved our position from an Irish perspective as regards the quota available to us and have improved our position in reducing the access available to Norway as part of those agreements.

Most recently, at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council last December, I secured a permanent additional mackerel quota-share for Ireland worth approximately €3 million. That is the first ever permanent increase to our quota in mackerel that we have had in Ireland. It resulted in me and my team identifying a potential opportunity as regards mackerel quotas, which had been held up until now entirely by Danes and fished entirely by the Danish fleet. As a result of pursuing that opportunity, we secured that additional €3 million on an going basis. The fishing here this year will amount to just over 4,000 additional tonnes being fished this year.

Sustainability is a key principle of the Common Fisheries Policy, and rigorous assessment is undertaken to examine the implications for Ireland of the potential fishing opportunities each year. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, ICES, provides the scientific advice used by us, the European Commission and other countries. The waters surrounding Ireland contain some of the most productive fishing grounds in the EU. We have a duty of care to maintain those stocks in fishing them sustainably to make sure they continue to be there in future years. In recent years we have seen an increase in the number of stocks that are fished at a maximum sustainable yield level, with 39 stocks in the past year fished at a maximum sustainable yield level compared with only 20 stocks ten years ago. That is a significant achievement, and it is important for the sustainable availability of fish for our fleet into the future that we fish it sensibly and do not undermine it in the process of doing so.

We have seen tangible progress as regards fishers working sustainably because we have been able to reopen the spurdog fishery last year. Also, for the first time, we have had a commercial herring fishery off the north-west coast, and I want to see that build in the time ahead. That presents challenges as well, however. For example, the ICES advice for pollack this year was for a zero catch in areas 6 and 7. A small by-catch has been provided this year to avoid a choke situation in other fisheries. That step, which has been taken on scientific advice in order to protect that stock to allow time for it to recover and to be fished again, has had and will have an impact on fisheries this year, particularly on the inshore sector.

On wider issues, the House will be aware that this week I announced a public consultation on trawling within our six-nautical-mile zone and inside our baselines.

Five years ago, as the House will know, a transition to a ban on vessels over 18 m trawling in inshore waters, inside the six-nautical-mile zone and the baselines, was announced following a previous public consultation. While this ban had a strong support base, it was subsequently overturned following legal challenge. In view of changes in activity and issues concerning the marine space since then, it is important that this issue is reviewed and reflected on in an open and inclusive process.

I am particularly conscious of our inshore fleet and their dependence, compared with that of larger vessels, on fishing resources within the six-nautical-mile zone. Other issues that need to be reflected on include balancing the management of our fisheries with the needs of the marine ecosystem but also the changes that have come with Brexit, the energy crisis and the climate crisis. The policy context, obviously, has changed since 2018. I encourage everyone now to participate in that public consultation.

Fishing and the seafood sector are massively important to the social and economic health of our coastal communities. I have worked hard to invest substantially in the sector for that reason. I have delivered on the recommendations of the task force, which I outlined earlier. That has seen significant capital investment in local authority piers and harbours. This investment directly supports fishing and aquaculture and provides important diversification opportunities for coastal communities.

Overall, as I said, €305 million in funding has been delivered on the recommendations of the task force. These schemes were designed to support the sector to adapt, to diversify and to maximise value. They include, for example, €34 million on two temporary tie-up schemes, €7 million for two inshore business model adjustment schemes, €45 million in capital grant aid for the processing sector, and €20 million for an aquaculture development scheme. Towards the end of 2023, I secured further liquidity aid of €25 million for the pelagic sector and €7 million for the processing sector. We have also delivered on the task force's recommendation to provide €80 million in support for a voluntary decommissioning scheme.

Along the coast, by the end of 2023, the Government had delivered just under €38 million in funding to support 148 capital projects in terms of small piers and harbours.

Now we are looking towards the roll-out of our schemes under the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund seafood development programme, which will see €258 million delivered through various schemes over the next short number of years.

I look forward to further discussing issues and questions which I have no doubt we will have over the course of this debate. I thank again everyone for requesting and facilitating this debate in the Dáil today.

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

I note that the Government had provided 15 minutes for its own Members to participate in this and nobody has taken up one single minute of those 15. That speaks volumes about the priority the Government is giving to the profound crisis in our fishing and seafood industry. Looking across our coast, I do not know to whom the Government is talking because I speak to inshore fishermen, islands fishermen, offshore fishermen, the seafood industry and the aquaculture industry and there is profound concern across the industry. A fisherman in recent days said to me that if the decommissioning scheme were made available again, he believes that even more would avail of it because they just cannot see light at the end of the tunnel and they do not see a sense of urgency in our Government at all.

The Minister will know that there is serious and profound concern about the negotiations that are happening as we speak between the European Commission and Iceland. Iceland is a country with a population of 380,000 people. I think that is around the same population as that of the city of Cork. If what has been suggested goes ahead, Iceland would have almost equal access to blue whiting as our entire industry and, of course, our population is 5.2 million in this State, 7 million on the island. These are our waters. This is our exclusive economic zone. Iceland is not a member of the European Union.

I do not have much time and I ask that the Minister respond as quickly as he can. When did he become aware of the discussions between the European Commission and Iceland? What was the exact date?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

Towards the end of last year - I do not recall the exact date - there was engagement by the European Commission with us, consulting in discussions as regards Iceland. I have at all times fully briefed and engaged, as I always do, all the fishing sector representatives as to how we would approach those discussions. There has been no deal with Iceland. The reason for that is the stance I have taken. I have refused to accept or to agree to any mandate in this regard because I very much value and respect our waters and, as I said, over the past four years of negotiations I have reduced the extent of Icelandic access to our waters and increased our quota.

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

The European Commission, when it has engaged with the Irish fishing industry, has said that there is a mandate for discussions. Did the Minister agree to that mandate?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

No. There is no mandate for discussions and no mandate to proceed to any negotiation here. There have been informal discussions between the European Commission and Iceland, which is often the case, but nothing can proceed unless a mandate is provided by European Union member states to the Commission to proceed with negotiations. As I said, I have been the only Minister who has been forthrightly refusing to provide a mandate because I have set very clear outlines under which any negotiation would take place. They would need to respect our waters and, if any negotiation were to take place, see us get significantly increased quotas, which others will not agree to.

For that reason, no mandate has been agreed.

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

To be clear, in terms of the shape of the draft deal that has been presented to the Irish fishing industry, the Minister is very clear that he will oppose any deal between the European Commission and Iceland, as the Irish fishing industry is united in demanding.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

The reason there has been no mandate is because of the position I have taken as the Irish Minister. I consulted with those in our sector, and they are fully up to speed on everything that has happened here. I have kept them up to speed at all times. I read out what I have done regarding the line I have taken with the Commission. I have set a very high threshold, which is absolutely appropriate, with regard to respecting our waters in terms of fish and the fish coming to Ireland, should there be any deal.

Our share of blue whiting at the moment is 14%, for example. That is our quota. I have insisted that if there is to be any blue whiting transfer at European level, or any discussion with Iceland or any mandate provided, it could only be in the instance where, at an absolute minimum, we would get a quota of 75%. As other member states are not agreeable to that, so there has been no mandate. However, that is the very clear, hard position I have taken, which has meant there has been no movement or progress regarding the negotiation with Iceland.

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

To be clear, the Minister is committing to stand by the Irish fishing industry and not agree any deal with the European Commission unless it is in agreement with it. That is the Minister's position today.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

No, that is not what I said. The Deputy will find that if he talks to people in the industry, there are very different views among them. In fact, he will also find that their views have changed over the last number of weeks and months. What I clearly said is that I consulted with them all at the start and right along the way. I have laid down very hard lines. Obviously, when we are the only member state that is really preventing this mandate happening, we have to be credible. We have to have clear lines and be able to defend them and hold tight otherwise we will not prevail. That is the approach I have taken. Others have shifted in position along the way but I have remained resolute. I laid out very hard lines in that regard and I stick by them.

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

I will conclude on this because I only have four minutes left.

I want to talk about inshore and island fishermen and the crisis they are facing. I will lead with this and ask that the Minister look at the issue of Brexit. It is clear that the European Commission agreed a Brexit deal with the UK accepting zonal attachment rather than relative stability. In other words, the waters would benefit those who live closer to them. That is the basis to the Brexit agreement - zonal attachment. Will the Minister examine the approach of the Irish Government in terms of the entire value? Will he give an assessment of the entire value of all the fish in the Irish exclusive economic zone, which is within the 200-mile limit? I am not asking the Minister to respond to that now, but he might undertake to supply those of us in the Opposition with a full value of all the fish in the exclusive economic zone of Ireland. What is the full value? What do we get? He might then address the zonal attachment issue. I do not want him to respond now as I do not have enough time left.

I want to say this on the record. Representatives from the National Inshore Fishermen's Association appeared before the Oireachtas committee recently. If the Minister has not had a chance to do so, he should please look back at their presentation or at least read the transcript of it. It was harrowing. As he knows, there are almost 2,000 inshore fishermen across the State. They have a producer organisation, which is good news. We also have the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation, IIMRO. However, both of them are getting very limited support in terms of their producer organisation. They are really trying to stand up for their communities with very limited resources. Will the Minister look at that?

Will the Minister look at the issue of fuel subsidies? The fuel subsidy is nothing. He talks about the tie-up scheme. Inshore and islands could not avail of that. They had no financial support deal, and the cost of fuel is increasing again. He might address supports and financial supports for the producer organisations. The Minister knows about the collapse of the crab and shrimp markets. Can he provide financial supports for that? The Minister has spoken about piers and harbours. Investment in piers and harbours came from the Brexit adjustment reserve fund. European money, which is basically called redundancy money in the industry, was given to make up for the huge loss of income to our industry. That money is being invested in piers and harbours. I would argue that it should be central Exchequer capital funding. Certainly, a good proportion of it should be going towards that. The Government has spent tens of millions of this Brexit adjustment reserve fund money on piers and harbours. Why has it not given financial assistance directly on fuel, as requested, compensating for the collapse of crab and shrimp and the issue of supporting the producer organisations?

Finally, because the Minister will only have about one minute to respond to me, I will mention the area of aquaculture. The Minister will know that in a recent speech in this Chamber, I spoke about the impact of recent changes in aquaculture in terms of Brexit. There are new export requirements for the live bivalve mollusc. Costs, logistics, paperwork and bureaucracy have all increased. I ask the Minister to engage with the IFA's aquaculture committee on this issue because this is having a serious impact on its members. I ask him to pay attention to that issue, too.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

As two Members want to get in, there are only 30 seconds for the Minister to reply.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

Okay, I will keep it to 30 seconds. With regard to the producer organisations report, I have advocated and for the first time, we have seen two inshore producer organisations established. The have the same funding available to them that other producer organisations in the same structure would have. That is really important.

There has been significant investment in piers and harbours through Brexit, but also significant State investment. The Deputy might recall the announcement I made last week. That is from national investment this year, primarily, with €9 million of the €12 million going to piers and harbours in County Donegal. That was announced for the county council and local authorities.

I have been meeting with the inshore sector about the crab and shrimp markets. The market has obviously dropped off, but there is further meeting with them today with officials from my own team.

Deputy Pat Buckley

What about fuel subsidies?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

That is not somewhere I have gone. I did an extra tie-up scheme last year instead of doing a fuel subsidy. Prices have come down again, but there is still a cost. Obviously, the challenge with fuel subsidies is that once we go there, there is no revenue. For example, marine fuel does not have any tax on it unlike other taxes. It is tax free apart from VAT, which is reclaimable.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Deputy Conway-Walsh will be followed by Deputy Buckley. There are two minutes left.

Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh

I really have to note how much Fine Gael cares about fishing when not one of its Members can even be here to speak on this really important subject, particularly the Fine Gael TDs from coastal communities.

I want to talk about the inshore sector, which provides more than 50% of employment in Ireland in the seafood industry. Everyone is aware of the unfair division of quotas and distribution at an EU level. However, what is even more difficult to understand or justify is how quotas are divided among the Irish fishing sectors.

The most sustainable method of fishing on the planet is hook and line for mackerel. These fishermen make up 95% of the fleet. How can this Government continue to stand over its decision - not an EU decision - to give them less than 1% of the national mackerel quota? The herring allocation is not much better, at 5% for the inshore boats. The current situation favours a tiny minority, while the majority finds itself discriminated against by the Government. It is shameful. I have been talking about this for I do not know how many years since I started talking about fishing.

Article 17 of the Common Fisheries Policy requires the State to allocate fishing opportunities using transparent and objective criteria. These should be based on social, environmental and economic criteria. The exact opposite is happening in Ireland. The Government is not just contravening Article 17; it is breaking its own quota policy. The Government's management policy is supposed to guard against the concentration of quota in a few large companies, but all its policies have done exactly that. By basing quotas on track records and attaching them to vessels, those with money can buy tonnage with the track record attached. Will this Government bring forward a mackerel hook and line policy that is fair and that can deliver for the inshore fishing sector? The inshore sector is an integral part of Erris, Belmullet and all the coastal communities. I do not want to be standing in the Chamber again talking to the Minister about mackerel hook and line quotas.

Deputy Pat Buckley

The Minister mentioned in his opening speech the €305.5 million in support schemes. It is a long time since I worked in a fish plant. We used to process fish in this country that were caught in this country.

We have the possibility here of having a more than €1 billion sustainable industry in this country. We are going the wrong way when I hear previous speakers talking about quotas and the like. These are our waters and this is our fishing industry. Talking to fishermen in Ballycotton, Cobh, Youghal and Goleen, they are struggling. There is a possibility of making this so sustainable. I have spoken to fishermen who say seashells and oyster shells can be crushed and mixed with chicken feed to produce extra calcium. There is all this aquaculture we are talking about. I get very aggrieved when I see the map from Ireland to Greenland and so much richness in that area. We cannot even catch tuna. If I go into a shop or the fishmongers in my town of Midleton and ask where the tuna is, I will be told, "We do not fish for tuna". We have one of the richest seas on the planet. Can we please move away from this talk of giving quotas to X, Y and Z? It is our water. It is our industry. We should support our costal communities, making the best of sustainable resources, making Ireland one of the best countries in the planet in which to catch and produce fish, package it without exporting it from elsewhere, and create a massive multibillion euro industry in this country. We have to stop going backwards and move forward.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

I am going through the list of speakers as is and the Minister will have time at the end. Many Members have not turned up but I cannot make that decision just yet because they may still. The Minister can use the time at the end to answer some of the questions that have not been answered. I move on to Deputy Holly Cairns from the Social Democrats.

Deputy Holly Cairns

I thank the Minister for coming in to take questions and answers. It might be a surprise to people watching at home but we do not normally get the chance to do the back and forth, which is kind of shocking in itself but I thank the Minister for doing it today. It is great to be able to actually put the questions to a Minister and get the answers.

I also want to thank the Minister for recognising the organisations and making them producer organisations. That is hugely valuable for decision-making. Having more representation at those decision-making tables was a really important move. I also welcome the fact that he has opened the consultation on the ban of vessels over 18 m from trawling within 6 miles of the shore. It is five years later - a long time - and it is a shame it did not start sooner. Will he give us an outline of the timeline on that? One of issues I want to raise with the Minister may seem, in the grand scheme of things not the most significant, but actually it is significant in the grand scheme of the sector because what we have is two distinctly different parts of the sector and the inshore sector practices a really sustainable type of fishing. Not only does it do that and provide local restaurants, shops and farmers markets and all of those places with really amazing fresh produce, it is also the type of fishing we really need to get behind and support because it is more sustainable, does not damage our marine ecosystems in that way and there are all of these huge benefits to it. Added to those is employment in local areas. Therefore, supporting that sector is really important.

One of issues I always come across in my constituency of Cork South-West is the need for basic infrastructure at small piers and harbours. It was great to have the Brexit BALAMI funding last year. Many small works were done such as handrails, tow rails, extension of car parks and storage areas and all of those things were absolutely brilliant. The Minister knows himself that to do any kind of works out from the land needs a foreshore licence. This is a particular bugbear of mine related to the foreshore licensing system. We often hear the view that "these environmental polices are wrecking rural Ireland" and I find that kind of narrative particularly annoying because the fishing and farming sectors will be the first to be affected by the consequences of climate change. Then we have polices like this. A group of inshore fishers who are practising the most sustainable type of fishing cannot get, for example, the extension of a slipway the distance between the Minister and myself in this Chamber, to be able to lift the pots on and off the boats as otherwise they are pulling them up from a sheer drop at the end of the pier and simultaneously they see it taking five years to ban large vessels from sweeping up all of the stock in that area. How is this protecting the environment that minor works to an area with sustainable jobs and sustainable fishing cannot be done? It is really frustrating for people and results in that feeling that these policies from the environment are "wrecking rural Ireland". We need to take that climate action and I am all for having the areas where we protect the stocks but it is utterly ridiculous that those minor works cannot be carried out to an area that desperately needs it to support employment and support that type of fishing we all need to get behind. Can the licensing system be examined? When it was introduced in other countries, they introduced it because they too thought they needed to protect their marine environment but they did it from maybe 100 m out from the shoreline. This would mean for those basic infrastructure, people would not have to go through a lengthy, massively expensive process with the local authority just to do something basic like that and ultimately the marine environment in that area was still being protected, even though it did not seem to stop the numbers of vessels over 18 m from trawling.

Will the Minister answer that question first and I will come back in then on the quotas?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

I thank the Deputy. I recognise her support for the producer organisations, particularly that of the inshore sector, which was not as strongly represented in the past because it did not have that platform. I take her point on the inshore fishing. This is something that has a very sustainable approach and it is important as well for our inshore sector. Obviously, we only have a certain allocation of fish and how it is divided up between the different sectors takes into account the historic track record. Any change to that is often-----

Deputy Holly Cairns

I will come onto the quotas next. My question was about the basic infrastructure and the foreshore licence.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

Regarding the foreshore licensing, we have worked hard to try to make sure the timelines involved for allocating a foreshore licence are reduced, certainly within my own Department. If it is a fishing-related licence, my Department issues the foreshore licence. If it is more maritime and leisure, it is issued by the Department of housing. The challenge is where to draw the line. In some cases, there are small exemptions such as for planning. A garage can be built at the back of a house if it complies with certain terms and conditions. If you do not have a foreshore licence for extending something, then you need that. If we have an efficient and effective system for actually applying for it so it does not take a year or 18 months, then it is not such an issue. We are certainly making significant progress in our own Department towards getting those answers and applications processed much more quickly. However, I take the Deputy's point.

Deputy Holly Cairns

I really hope that is realised and that it becomes a more effective and efficient system. The Minister asked where we draw the line. Like I said, other countries for example drew the line 100 m out from the shoreline. I am saying we may need to look at that. We may look at that and find out that this is not doable. I am asking the Minister to look at it and then I really hope the system is made more efficient as well.

The second point I wanted to raise with the Minister relates to the quotas. He always goes into the whole area of the European quotas but I am asking about his decision on distributing the European quota he has received. This is one of the factors that drives the complete disillusionment in the inshore sector with Government decisions on the fishing industry. Taking the mackerel quota as an example, there is no excuse for the fact that 99% - I am not sure if it is 98% or 99% - of this quota goes to fewer than 100 big vessels. Then somewhere under 2,000 vessels in the inshore sector get 1% or 2% of that quota. If there was ever a picture of unfairness in a sector, that is it. Equally, there are concerns about the Celtic herring quota and others. Instead of going into the European situation and all of that, will the Minister please outline, in terms of his distribution of that quota for mackerel, how he came to the conclusion that 98% of it would go to the those 100 boats and the other 2% to the 2,000 inshore fishers in the country?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

I have not come to that conclusion; that has been the state of play for a number of years.

A review was done a few years ago which adjusted it and gave more to the inshore sector. It is still small and it was divided up between the pelagic sector and the polyvalent sector. Every time there is a change made to this it can be quite contested because the other sectors - polyvalent and pelagic - resist any reductions to their mackerel. It is something I am currently reflecting on whether there is a need for further consultation to discuss whether there could be a reallocation of the inshore hook and line. Dating from the last review there is an ongoing court challenge to that because the polyvalent sector, in particular, is challenging they did not get enough. No matter when we discuss it there will be conflict within the sector with regard to how that is divvied up. I take the Deputy's point. I am certain the inshore sector will have that view.

Deputy Holly Cairns

It is important to state, just for the record, that how those quotas are divvied out is the Minister's decision. It is blatantly and disproportionately in favour of the larger players. It is something we see a playbook for from this and successive Governments, that there is a disproportionate favour for those big players and that the smaller people in the business have massively lost out. The reality is it is impacting the inshore sector at the moment with markets for brown crab and stuff being much less. There is a lot going on. It would say a lot for the Department to really acknowledge the inshore sector and at the very least allow a bit more of a quota. Some 98% of 2% is just shocking.

I understand that the Minister is meeting officials from Cork County Council soon with regard to Keelbeg Pier in Union Hall. It is one of those areas where works have been done to the main pier and that is welcome for the fishing sector. In terms of the coastline that is used for the community and for lots of different activities and all of those things, there is a major need for works on that area. In advance of the meeting with Cork County Council what is the Minister's view on this? Will funding be made available? Any update on the situation in Keelbeg Pier would be very appreciated.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

We have run out of time for answers. I will stick to that and maybe at the end the Minister will generously use his time to reply. It will depend on whether the other slots are filled. People Before Profit-Solidarity is next and I call Deputy Boyd Barrett.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

I was asked by east coast fishers to relay concerns to the Minister about the threat they see to their industry. It is currently a sustainable shellfish industry which they estimate directly and indirectly results in the employment of approximately 800 people affecting towns and coastal communities and fishers all the way up and down the east coast.

The threat they see is from plans to build industrial wind farms on sensitive sand banks. Sand banks particularly close to me are the Kish Bank and the Codling Bank. Fishers and myself would very much advocate in favour of developing renewable energy resources and using the marine potential we have to develop those resources and nobody disputes this. However, we do not think one thing should come at the expense of another.

In fact the point the fishers on the east coast make is that European law - I am not a legal expert in this area - is very clear that we cannot displace one industry with another. Where there is an industry and where people are making their livelihood and living in a particular area it is prohibited to displace them and destroy their industry and livelihood in order to make way for another industry. That is precisely what they see as coming down the line as the private corporations - they are all private corporations, most of them not even companies based in this country - are planning to put very big industrial wind farms all the way up and down the east coast on sensitive sand banks which are critical to the sustainability of the shellfish industry and fish spawning grounds. They are very sensitive sites at many levels. The Minister's concern, and the fisher's concern, is in terms of the fishing but the sites are also very sensitive environmentally. The fishers say that the private companies that are being issued licenses, for example at the moment for surveys, are ultimately intending to put big industrial wind farms which will potentially see thousands of enormous wind turbines at very close proximity to our coasts and critically, from the fishers' point of view, on sand banks.

The sand banks are critical to the fishers' industry and this will destroy their industry. They are in no doubt of that and that there will be nothing left of their industry at the end of it. These things should be placed further out or on less sensitive sites. If the wind farms go on these sand banks, like the Codling, Kish and others, they will destroy their fishing industry and their livelihoods.

There is supposed to be a requirement for serious consultation between developers in these areas and those who make a living - in this case the fishers - but this is not happening. In the case of the developers on the Codling Bank they will not even meet the legal representatives of the fishers. There is no serious engagement and developers are ploughing ahead regardless of the consequences for the fishers.

The question the fishers asked me to ask the Minister is what he is doing to safeguard their industry and their livelihoods. They are watching in and are very keen to hear the Minister's response but that is what they want to know. What is the Minister doing to ensure their industry and livelihoods are not destroyed by plans to put wind turbines on these particular locations which are critical to the sustainability of their industry, their incomes and their jobs ?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

This is an important issue. There obviously is massive potential and it is really important to the future of our country that we develop sustainably the potential of offshore renewable energy to meet our own national need but the capacity is there to produce enough electricity for five times what we need to become a net exporter. Obviously there is great potential there which we will step out. Central to how we will do that is engaging with the fishers who currently use parts of that ground for fishing opportunities. That consultation and engagement is really important. It is something I have been focusing on as Minister with responsibility for the marine, to make sure everybody is getting pulled together and that we actively focus to make sure people are properly engaged with in regard to that.

A seafood offshore renewable energy working group has now been established with joint input from my Department as well as the Department with responsibility for housing and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Ministers, Deputy O'Brien and Deputy Eamon Ryan. That his being facilitated by Captain Brian McCabe. That is an important forum but I accept what the Deputy is saying. There have been challenges around everybody coming together and having proper line of sight. It is important that everybody does and that everybody's views get taken on board, particularly those who actually depend on these areas for their livelihoods, and that this is fully understood and accommodated.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

I will add that the fishers would very much appreciate, given the complaints they are making about the failure of these companies to engage properly with their representatives, particularly in terms of the Codling Bank, that the Minister might look into that and try to ensure that engagement actually takes place and that we do not end up cutting off our nose to spite our face.

There is no reason, with floating offshore wind, we cannot put these in different locations now. We have the technology. There does not have to be a trade-off between the imperative of developing renewable energy resources and destroying existing livelihoods in industries or, for that matter, doing other things that may damage our marine and coastal environment. I hope the Minister will look into that east coast side of things because the fishers would very much appreciate it.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Does the Minister want to use the two minutes to come back on any question?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for that contribution. It is an important issue, and it is important that everybody is part of that process because there is so much to do in this space, and so much potential. However, we have to respect those who have been on this largely on their own for many generations, and who depend on it for their livelihoods as well. Captain Robert McCabe is leading the co-ordination of that offshore renewable group between the three relevant Departments.

I will go back to Deputy Cairns regarding Union Hall pier. It is something she has raised previously and her colleague, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, was in touch specifically around facilitating a meeting between Cork County Council and my Department on how this could step out. It is also something Deputy Michael Collins has raised previously. I have allocated some funding to Union Hall over the past couple of years. However, the initial steps in stepping this out is a role for Cork County Council with regard to the design, the development of the proposal, and getting it to a position where it can be submitted to the Department for consideration under any future grant schemes.

I have been to Union Hall a number of times. I spent summer holidays there. It is a wonderful part of the country and it has a really important fishing pier, and it is important that we find ways in the future. At the moment, it is in Cork County Council's bailiwick to step that forward but my team and I will certainly have that meeting with the council to discuss it.

Deputy Holly Cairns

Is there a timeline?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

There is about an eight-week period for the consultation. We will have to gather that and assess it and then step it out with regard to getting to a decision. Over the next number of months, we should get to that point.

The Deputy made the point that it is five years. This came in, and the former Minister, Deputy Michael Creed, did really good work on this. He introduced the 6 mile nautical ban for vessels over 18 m. Unfortunately, it was struck down through a legal challenge. That worked its way through the courts. The final decision from the courts came through a few months ago or so. We have then been considering how we step that out and take it forward again, and we have now commenced that process.

Deputy Matt Shanahan

I want to ask the Minister a couple of questions. I do not want to get into the debate on quotas because, unfortunately, they are what they are and they have done tremendous damage to the overall viability of a large Irish fishing fleet now or into the future.

In the Minister's report, I would think that he is talking about the idea of sustainability and growth. To the fishermen I speak to, there is an overly negative aspect to the future of their industry for a lot of them. There are five large trawlers fishing out of Dunmore East Harbour. That is it now, and they are finding it very tough going. The eel fishers and the pot fishers are doing it more so now because it is something they have done all of their lives, rather than it being viable anymore because for most of them it is not, and it is nearly dying out.

There are a couple of areas I would like to touch on. One is restoring eel fishing in the Waterford Estuary. I know it had opened in Scotland. I am not sure what the Department's situation is. Maybe the Minister will come back to me in writing on that and see whether there is licensing available for that. It used to happen and I do not what the situation is but the Minister might update me please.

There is a second point I want to make about Dunmore East Harbour. As the Minister knows, it is both a fishing harbour and a recreational harbour. We have issues down there with space and we are trying to manage all of that. I spoke to the Minister before, and I welcome the harbour development works that were undertaken recently and some of the changes with regard to the fish landing licensing and all of that. However, we have a number of derelict buildings in the harbour that belong to the Department. Nothing has been done with them for years and they are an eyesore. I have asked repeatedly and all I have been told is, "It is the Department of fisheries". We have works that need to be done in recreational areas where fishers are and we could probably move some activity from one area to another if we were to bring these buildings into use. Even if we do not do it for that, I would highlight that there is no fish processing going on in Dunmore East Harbour anymore. The trawlers come in and they just land their fish off in ice, and off it goes in juggernauts. There is an opportunity there, and if the Minister wants to talk about sustainable development, this is something. We need a business plan and I would be happy to engage with the Minister and the fishermen down there to try to figure it out. We used to have very good processing facilities down there. Unfortunately, some were burned down and never replaced. However, I ask the Minister to have a look at those vacant buildings that are in the harbour area and see what can be done with them.

Helvick Harbour has been brought up a number of times in An Roinn. The fishermen's boats there are sitting on their keels six to eight hours every day because of the silting of that harbour, and we have been asking for dredging of that harbour for more than five years. The local authority has no money to process foreshore licences, and again it is something that the Department needs to decide. Are we going to make these harbours workable or not? We need to tell the fishermen if we are not going to do that because at the moment, they are just spending longer being unable launch their boats or come into the harbour.

Finally, there is a draft designated maritime area plan under way at the moment off the south coast. There have been a number of public meetings going on trying to get feedback on that, and I understand it is the Government's intention to produce in the coming months a more formalised area where a number of wind project licences are going to be considered. What I would say to the Minister about that - and when we are above in this House we do not look at this - is that is an area of tremendous importance to the coastline of Waterford and east Cork, and Wexford to be fair. I want to make particular reference to the UNESCO Copper Coast site, which has been highlighted throughout the world as one of the most scenic drives around Ireland, and more importantly, all of the communities that live along there. I have tried to find out, with little success, about how we are proposing that the first number of licences there will be done by fixed pylons. That is not by floating wind but by fixed wind. The question is: what water depths are they going to be able to drill into? Nobody has been able to show this to me yet but we are not going to get any kind of opportunity to put these pylons far enough out to sea so that they will not encroach upon the amenity of that area. I ask the Minister to come back to me with something on that. What does he consider the regulated depths will be? These are 350 m turbines, the largest in Europe. We will be looking at 60 Eiffel Towers off the coast of Waterford and I certainly will not support that.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

There are just 14 seconds left, and I do not think it would be fair to the Minister to have him try to answer in ten seconds.

Deputy Matt Shanahan

He can come back to me in writing.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

Ireland has some of the richest fishing grounds in the whole world, and it is unbelievable to see what has happened to the fishing industry under the policies of the Government. It is estimated that the Irish fleet only takes 15% of the fish out of Irish waters. I am still actually shocked by that figure, even though I have read it so many times, and that 85% of Irish fish in Irish waters is actually taken by foreign trawlers and other fishing boats. It is an amazing situation.

The industry is, I believe, €1.3 billion in size, and 11,000 people are employed in it. The Minister might think the fishing industry is a small thing, and not to be worried about or discussed. However, it is actually a big thing because it is a touchstone issue for people. People not in fishing are still significantly aggrieved by previous Governments handing over such a large amount of Ireland's wealth to the European Union. People are very angry about the Government's track record on this, and they also recognise that what is happening to the fishing industry is about to happen to the agricultural sector as well, which is that the Government flew the white flag on fishing 20 or 30 years ago, and now it is doing the same to the agricultural sector. I pay tribute to Patrick Murphy, who is the CEO of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, and also the Aontú candidate for Ireland South in the upcoming European elections. He has done tremendous work for the fishing industry. However, that sector is being hammered. Boats are being decommissioned. Irish quotas are reducing due to Brexit, etc., and now for large number of areas, Ireland has a lower quota of Irish fish than other European countries, which is an absolutely incredible situation.

The first question I want to ask the Minister is: did the Danes offer Ireland 12,000 tonnes of mackerel?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

No.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

In September, the Danes offered the Minister 3,000 tonnes of mackerel quota. Is that the case?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

This is a major success we have had in terms of a one-off increase in our mackerel quota. I engaged on this with my team when we identified an opportunity. At the time, we were accused by the Danish minister of conducting a midnight heist at the negotiations when we went after this particular quota. We succeeded there at the most recent December fisheries quotas talks of getting a permanent allocation.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

Of how much?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

It is 25% of that total allowable catch, TAC, going forward on an annual basis.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

How much is that in tonnes?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

The Danish minister made a number of offers in advance previous to that, which did not hold any water. I refuted them as not cutting the mustard. I kept working on this until I got a deal which would actually work and deliver and which we did deliver.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

I asked, did the Danes offer the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 3,000 tonnes of mackerel? The Minister has taken up at least 30 seconds of very limited time and he has not answered the question. Did they?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

What we have achieved-----

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

Did they, Minister? I do not have much time.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

One of the Danish offers was 3,000 tonnes of mackerel for two different years-----

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

Okay, thanks.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

-----which I refused and blew out of the water because it would simply not cut the mustard. After refusing a number of deals, I got a much better one. Incidentally when I presented it to your own colleague, Patrick Murphy, I can recall him saying that for the first time he had some hope for our fishing sector because of the progress made with this deal. It was welcomed by him at that point but I see he has changed his stance since then

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

In September, I understand the Minister was given a communiqué on the 3,000 tonnes, which I understand he ignored.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

No.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

I also understand that the Minister said it was legal. The Minister went to the December Council and, having discussed it with the Spanish, came home with 1,500 tonnes, half the number that was offered. Is this the miracle of the loaves and fishes in reverse, where we start out with less fish than we were offered?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

No, it is simply a sign that Deputy Tóibín does not know what he is talking about, and that he does not have an understanding of the issue. I have secured approximately 4,300 additional tonnes of mackerel to be fished in Ireland this year.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

From the Danish offer?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

Yes, this 4,300 tonnes will be fished this year because of the deal I secured at the December Council. That involves a 40% allocation of the TAC from last year, as well as a 30% allocation this year, both of those being fished this year. Going forward, in the long term, there will be a 25% allocation which we secured. This is now permanently additional to the Irish quota.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

What does the 25% equate to in tonnage?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

It will depend on what the quota is in any one year. It was 2,495 tonnes last year and it will be 1,769 tonnes in 2024. This represents a 30% amount, so we are talking in the region of 1,500 tonnes.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

In that case, with the figures I started off with, the long-term effect is true.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

No, it shows that the Deputy does not get this issue and is badly briefed on it.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

I have a final question. Time has been taken off me by elongated questions.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

No, there has been a robust exchange.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

I think I have made the position very clear.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Perhaps there will be time at the end with the Government's reply.

Deputy Michael Collins

This long-awaited Dáil debate on the fisheries sector has finally arrived, allowing us to shed light on the EU's clandestine actions that undermine the interests of the Irish fishing industry. The man at the helm, our Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, appears to be complicit in these actions, aligning himself with unelected bureaucrats in Brussels rather than standing up for Irish coastal communities and the fishing sector.

The latest manoeuvres or sellout being entertained and facilitated by the Minister involve EU negotiations with Iceland to surrender more fishing rights in Irish waters. It is deeply troubling that an Irish fisheries Minister would engage in such a deal, allowing the EU to grant Iceland access to our fishing waters. This secretive agreement is not only objectionable but also lacks transparency. The deal, which is shrouded in secrecy, promises our fishermen an additional 15 million tonnes of blue whiting quota this year, but at a steep cost of allowing Icelandic crews to fish in our waters. This is akin to offering a child a single sweet in exchange for all their pocket money. What exacerbates the situation is the clandestine nature of these talks, conducted without any consultation with the local sector, despite the severe implications.

Currently, foreign vessels catch more than 85% of the fish in Irish territorial waters while our fishermen can only watch from the sideline or have their vessels moored at piers due to a lack of quota. This new deal threatens to worsen the situation. The lack of advocacy for our industry is evident. Unlike our counterparts in other EU countries, we do not seem to be fighting for our sector. If this new deal proceeds, Iceland, a non-EU member, will be able to catch almost the same amount of blue whiting in Irish waters as we do. This one-sided deal benefits only Iceland, leaving us with no comparable catch in Icelandic waters. Ireland stands to lose significantly from the deal, with countries like Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden all gaining more than Ireland.

This highlights the glaring incompetence of our fisheries Minister, who seems willing to accept any proposal thrown at him by EU officials. This is a fact well known in Brussels. At its core, the EU is exploiting our waters to secure better deals for other EU and non-EU states, all at Ireland's expense. This is both unbelievable and outrageous. Would the Spanish or Dutch Governments ever accept such a flawed deal? There has been no input or adequate consultation by the Minister with the affected fishermen here on this deal. The Irish fishing industry has already lost 26% of its mackerel quota to the UK due to Brexit. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has intentionally downsized the Irish fleet and decommissioned dozens of trawlers.

Last year, Ireland's pelagic fish exports dropped by 45%, representing a loss of €56 million to the Irish economy. It is high time for the Minister to come clean about the talks. The Irish fishing industry and the public deserve transparency and a Minister who will fight for their interests. It is baffling to see our Minister and his officials advancing an agenda driven by the EU Commission.

This is an agenda which does not serve Ireland's interests, but instead favours Iceland, a non-EU member. We are deeply concerned that this concession of further foreign access to Irish waters is being negotiated behind closed doors. Why would we agree to a deal that permits Icelandic fisherman to exploit valuable blue whiting stocks in Irish waters? Iceland has vast waters of its own and a history of arbitrarily increasing fishing quotas, leading to the depletion of its own stocks.

It is unjustifiable that Irish fishermen should bear the cost of this. A deal with Iceland must be reciprocal. This current deal threatens to further devastate the Irish fishing industry. Granting access to another non-EU country would further jeopardise the livelihoods of Irish fishermen and the sustainability of the stock. We fear a repeat of the Brexit giveaway that occurred on this Minister's watch. Iceland boasts a substantial fishing fleet, including factory ships that will deplete our stock. It is unjust to grant them rights to fish in our waters. The EU has already sacrificed Ireland in the Brexit negotiations resulting in severe repercussions, following the disastrous transfer of Irish fishing quotas to the EU. Ireland has decommissioned 39 vessels and downsized its national fleet. We now find ourselves in the inconceivable situation of granting a third country access, while Ireland's small fleet and onshore factories grapple with reduced fishing quotas.

According to reports, Icelandic fishing of blue whiting in Irish waters would yield that country a benefit of €22.5 million with no benefit for Ireland. We struggle to understand why the Minister and his officials are rushing an agenda driven by the EU Commission that benefits Iceland, a non-EU member. Have we not learned from past mistakes?

Will the Minister immediately block or veto any EU deal with Iceland? The Irish fishing industry and the public deserve better, as well as a Minister who will fight for them.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

Had Deputy Collins been listening to what I said at the outset, he would have heard how I laid out the negotiations in relation to an engagement with the Commission on Iceland. I, as the Minister representing Ireland, has been the one who has been taking a very hard line and refusing to agree to any mandate for negotiations or for conducting an agreement with Iceland. As a result of that there has not been one. I have laid all this out. The Deputy obviously has not been listening to me. I often hear of Ministers being accused of coming into the Chamber and reading out what was given to them but it seems to be a different story for those in opposition in terms of listening to what was said.

I have taken a clear line in terms of these negotiations and continue to do so in respect of the fact that our waters are being discussed in an EU context. I am working to ensure that in terms of the outcome of that, our waters are respected and that any access that happens would be to the benefit of the Irish fleet.

Deputy Michael Collins

Is the Minister saying there is absolutely going to be no deal with Iceland, end of story? That is all I am asking. Is the answer "Yes" or "No"? It is a simple answer. It should not be a complicated answer that goes on for another minute while I am losing valuable time.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

It is not a simple answer.

Deputy Michael Collins

It is a "Yes" or a "No".

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

If the Deputy was aware of the way that European fisheries work, he would know it is not a simple answer-----

Deputy Michael Collins

Iceland is not in Europe.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

-----because things can be agreed at a European level by qualified majority voting, QMV.

Deputy Michael Collins

There is a veto.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

Nobody could tell the Deputy "Yes" or "No". I can, however, tell him that the approach I have taken as Minister is the reason that no mandate has been agreed at European level in respect of any engagement with Iceland. While other member states could vote us down, should they decide to, and go for a qualified majority vote, they are respecting the position I am taking at European level and the position I am outlining, which is very much that our waters should be respected and if there is any access to our waters, we should be the ones who gain in terms of fish. That is the approach I have taken. Not all are in agreement with that approach and those lines I have laid out. That is why there has not been consensus or agreement. I must recognise the fact that other member states are very much respecting the position I have taken and, as a result, we have not had a mandate. I have continued to take that clear, coherent and strong line on any engagement and it is my full intention and hope that by doing so, we will continue to ensure that our position is respected. We have improved our position in each of the four years I have conducted negotiations with the EU on behalf of Ireland in relation to Iceland by reducing the amount of fish its fishers can catch in our waters, reducing Iceland's access to our waters and incrementally increasing the amount of fish our fishermen can fish over those four years.

Deputy Michael Collins

I thank the Minister. There are other issues I need to talk about. The inshore sector for crabs and shrimps has collapsed and many inshore fishermen are in a dire crisis. We met representatives of the inshore fishing sector at committee recently. The Minister said he will be meeting with them but what does he intend to achieve by that meeting? They have mortgages to pay and food to put on the table. They have not caught brown crab or shrimp in months. They are facing a serious crisis. They feel the talking should have been done and want delivery now of some package for their survival. Why has the Minister not tapped into the European fuel fund like every other European country, including Spain and others?

I also want to talk about piers. The Minister mentioned the pier at Killybegs, which is hugely important. I was there last Saturday morning. From what I heard from a Government person below there, all the money has dried up. They are hoping to have a meeting. Live horse and you will get grass, but that is not going to work for the people of Killybegs, who have been suffering for a long time. The Minister has been there, as was the Tánaiste when he was Taoiseach. What are they all doing? They are only going up the road and have nothing delivered. It is the same pier as ever and not one extra block has been laid on it. Everybody is blaming everybody else and nobody is sitting around the table and talking. That is all that needed to be done in the first place.

There is no quota for Irish fishermen in respect of the bluefin tuna.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

There is no time for a response. Perhaps the Minister will reply during his next response.

Deputy Thomas Pringle

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on what is an important issue for me and my constituents. For those who are not from a fishing community, it can be hard to understand how much of a negative impact the EU and Brexit have had and the devastating downturn these communities have experienced in recent decades. Killybegs was once known as a very prosperous town, with the herring running free, as the famous song goes. It used to be a place where businesses thrived and work was easy to come by. The fishing season used to last from September to May, with fishermen working for most of the year, resulting in plenty of activity and business in the town. Every year for the past two decades, the season has got progressively shorter. We are now at the stage when fishermen are lucky to get a couple of weeks' work before and after Christmas. This has, of course, had a significant negative impact on a once-thriving community because it took a whole town to build and contribute to a successful fishing industry. The entire town has now taken the hit for the decline and every family has been affected. It has come at the hands of successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments, as well as successive Donegal Ministers. One can imagine how frustrating it must be for our fishermen to see other communities thrive from, and overfish in, our waters without any punishment while Irish boats struggle to get a minuscule quota. How maddening it would be to realise that the EU is in talks to give even further access to our waters to non-EU members while Irish livelihoods are at stake. How utterly devastating it would be for the Government to stand by and allow this to happen and to look fishermen in the eye and promise them the world while at the same time, they are being shafted in Europe.

Successive Ministers for the marine have, unfortunately, allowed our industry to die out, while other countries thrive from our waters. We make up 12% of all fishing grounds and waters in the Union and contribute massively while getting almost nothing in return. No other European country or European minister would accept this so why have we accepted it for so long?

The Government's mistreatment of fishermen dates back to Ireland's negotiations to join the EU and the Common Fisheries Policy. I have raised the fundamental issue of the Common Fisheries Policy numerous times over the past decade. The Irish delegation negotiating the deal had no idea of the value of what they were giving away and it was a bad deal for Ireland. Many of these issues cannot be resolved until the Common Fisheries Policy is fully renegotiated to undo the wrongs that were done to us originally. A weak negotiating stance was also taken during the Brexit negotiations. Brexit was negotiated by a French negotiator who looked after French fishermen while Ireland ended up taking the flak for most of the negotiations and was shafted.

I have criticised the EU and the negative impact it has had on our fishing communities. I am completely against the way the EU has mistreated Irish fishermen and taken complete advantage of our waters. Unlike the Government, I recognise the value of our fishing industry and would never kowtow to Europe at the expense of our citizens' livelihoods. It has been made clear that this Government has not acted in the best interests of fishermen and fishing communities. The future is looking just as bleak. I am extremely concerned about the future of the fishing industry. The Minister claims he has got an additional mackerel quota for this year at last but as I understand it, that quota is still not near the quota we had before Brexit.

I take what the Minister said during his over-and-back with Deputy Michael Collins. I hope he will hold his ground during negotiations with Iceland and will force Europe to shaft us again if that is what it is going to do. The Minister needs to stand his ground and hold it at all times. Everybody in the House will support the Minister in that but it has to happen. It must be done for the good of the Irish fishing industry and for Irish fishermen across the board.

A recent Bord Bia report shows exactly how much of a hit fishing has taken. It details that during 2023, export values in the pelagic sector fell by 31%. The volume dropped by 45% when compared with 2022. The effect of this has been felt in all our fishing towns and by all workers across the industry. At the same time, countries such as Norway have permission to catch four times as much blue whiting in Irish waters as Irish fishermen do, while not receiving any punishment for the considerable overfishing its fishers are engaged in. There is a clear disconnect and lack of respect for the Government and our fishing communities being shown by our so-called EU colleagues. I do not believe they are our colleagues because they take advantage of us at every stage along the way. It is vital that we stand up to that.

Norway and the Faroe Islands consistently and systematically overfish mackerel and blue whiting by up to 44% yearly, severely threatening Ireland's quota. We need to demand a better deal for Europe in light of this and getting a better deal for Europe means getting a better deal for Ireland, which is ultimately what our goal should be. That is vital. Recognition of the Irish Island Marine Resource Organisation, IIMRO, as a producer organisation, PO, is also vital and should happen without delay.

Deputy Catherine Connolly

I thank the Minister for sitting through this debate. It is one of the most important debates and it should take place at a regular interval. I also welcome the good news that the Minister has stood his ground in respect of negotiations with Iceland but if anything brings home how the fisheries policy from Europe is not sustainable, and the Minister has talked about sustainability, it is the Common Fisheries Policy, which is anything but sustainable.

This debate is taking place in the context that the inshore fishermen were recently before the committee. Their conditions have been described as harrowing.

We have heard the figures on the mackerel quota. One percent is going to the inshore fishermen, with its 2,000 vessels, whereas 99% is going to a small number of boats. To me, the Common Fisheries Policy was never sustainable but the Minister is trying to stand his ground. It is like trying to hold back the tide. At the moment, he is standing his ground and I understand that qualified majority voting will ultimately come into play.

I have a few questions. I do not have time for a questions-and-answers session but I would like the Minister to answer my questions. I welcome the new consultation process that was announced on trawling within the six miles. It was announced in 2018 that the Government would go ahead with this policy. That was wonderful and I praised the Government many times for it. It was the first light or the first beacon of hope. Here we are in 2024 with no policy and we are starting from scratch. When the matter went to the Court of Appeal, that court held on very narrow grounds that the Government, the Department, had failed to notify the EU and England. That is all. Has the Government rectified this? When does the Minister believe the policy will be in place?

The removal of sprat from our waters is truly frightening. I do not have enough time to read out the details but the amount being taken out is way more than is sustainable. When will the policy be in place? The Irish inshore fisheries sector strategy, for which I acknowledge the Minister is not directly responsible, is now out of date. Where is it? Bord Iascaigh Mhara, BIM, has not been mentioned. When will it happen? What is the position on the heritage Bill for the island and inshore fishermen?

I read out information yesterday on small businesses. They are the backbone of our community, as are the small fishermen. Bialann amháin i gcroílár na Gaeltachta, taobh le TG4, atá i gceist. Faigheann siad na hamhábhair go léir ó na daoine áitiúla, ó Mhaigh Eo agus oirthear agus iarthar na Gaillimhe. Cuireann sé spotsolas ar chomh tábhachtach is atá sé cabhair a thabhairt do na gnólachtaí áitiúla. If we have learned anything from Covid and climate change, it is that we must go local and have transformative action. If anything captures that for me, it is the case of a certain business I am familiar with. I do not wish to single out a business but it is important. There is a restaurant very near TG4 that was set up during Covid. In the context of our debate on the importance of small businesses to the country and their being the backbone of the country, the restaurant in question has provided a paragraph setting out where it gets all its ingredients. It sources locally first and then gets its fish. Somebody goes to the ceant, the auction, in Ros an Mhíl and gets the fish. The vegetables come from the area, or east Galway or Mayo. The ingredients, including the cheese, are all sourced locally or organically but I am homing in on the fish because if anything captures what has happened regarding the unsustainability of the EU fisheries policy, it is Ros a Mhíl – a natural deepwater port that has utterly lost its fish processing and is now considering wind power, which I welcome, but which must be developed in a balanced way, as Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett has said.

There are so many issues concerning sustainability and learning that I would love to talk about but time is limited. Therefore, I ask that this debate be held regularly, with updates. The Minister might get a chance to reply to my two specific questions.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

I thank everyone for their contributions this evening. I am certainly happy to have this debate any time the Dáil seeks time and for as long as is necessary. If the Business Committee wanted to allocate more time to everyone and more time for answers, I would be delighted because there is more nonsense spewed on social media and more misinformation on the fishing sector than any other. You cannot beat discussing issues face to face, eyeball to eyeball, and teasing them out in sufficient detail. That is why I go around the country and why I have gone to the vast majority of piers and harbours to meet fishermen directly. It is why I am having a community meeting in Killybegs tonight. It is to meet representatives locally and talk real turkey, talk straight and cut through the myth and nonsense we often see.

Deputy Catherine Connolly

To talk real fish.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

On the six-mile review, there is an eight-week consultation period. I hope to have the document finalised and the policy published by the final quarter of this year. By the autumn of this year, I want this process concluded and what has been raised in consultation fully considered and brought into play. The former Minister, Deputy Creed, did really good work on this. It was struck down by the courts on a minor technicality. It took a long time to go through the courts and now we have to go through the process. Things have changed in terms of evidence. We have had to do assessments over the past few months in order to do the consultation, and that is now under way.

On the inshore strategy, there is ongoing discussion at BIM. It is leading out on putting this together. There are meetings today involving the inshore sector. BIM has other meetings planned. I want to see the work expedited pretty promptly.

On Deputy Pringle’s comment on recognition for the producer organisations, we now have two inshore organisations: the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation, to which I granted approval and which is now in a position to receive funding if it meets the criteria, and the National Inshore Fishermen’s Association, which is receiving funding. We are working with the organisations to ensure the funding can be drawn down. It is really important that we have those-----

Deputy Thomas Pringle

We still do not have anything.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

The town of Killybegs, which Deputy Pringle mentioned, has probably been impacted by Brexit more than anywhere else in Europe. The sector most affected by Brexit is the fisheries sector, and Killybegs, being the fisheries capital of this country, has therefore suffered the biggest impact in terms of quota, etc.

I remember being on a debate on Highland Radio with Deputy Pringle, whose arms were locked with Gregory Campbell MP advocating that the UK, including Northern Ireland, should leave the EU and do Brexit. I have always found it ironic that the place most impacted by the Brexit decision – it is not that Deputy Pringle influenced the UK but that it went ahead with it-----

Deputy Thomas Pringle

Killybegs was in decline long before Brexit. The Minister should know that.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

The town most impacted by Brexit in Ireland, if not Europe, is Killybegs.

With regard to Brexit adjustment reserve funding, I put €33 million into Killybegs over the past two years through various schemes. The processing sector in Killybegs alone got €12 million in grants. Recently, €8 million was made available for the pelagic liquidity aid scheme. Over the three or four years I have been Minister, I have invested €33 million in addition to the reserve funding to extend Smooth Point pier, and another €5 million is to be made available this year. There is no doubt that Killybegs has been affected, however, and I very much recognise that. I have organised a meeting there tonight to talk to all stakeholders and determine how we can ensure the town can go forward, be supported through the challenge of Brexit and have its wonderful industry and the wonderful support industries that have grown up around it supported to develop.

Deputy Collins referred to Union Hall. We have put some grant funding into it but no other grant funding proposal has been received. It is in the bailiwick of the county council to put that proposal together and submit it. I will seek to ensure funding is available for piers and harbours such as that at Union Hall in the future. I am providing €13 million specifically from national funding this year to support several piers and harbours around the country. I was glad to be in Castletownbere with Deputy Collins and other colleagues, including Christopher O’Sullivan, a couple of weeks ago to officially open a project at Castletownbere Harbour in which I invested €48 million. An extra 100 m of berth space was developed. Important infrastructure for the town was put in place to safeguard it for the future.

I am continuing to advocate regarding bluefin tuna at European level. Traditionally, we have not had a quota for bluefin tuna. We have one for albacore tuna but not bluefin tuna. I am fighting this at European level; however, where any adjustment to quotas and total allowable catch requires qualified majority voting, it is obviously a challenge, but one I continue to pursue in every way possible.

I discussed the fuel challenge in the inshore sector.

There has been some easing of it recently and I continue to monitor it. I did a second tie-up scheme to support the sector with the fuel challenges. Thankfully, we have seen some easing of it but there is still a real pressure in terms of cost and I continue to monitor it.

I thank everyone for the engagement today. I welcome this opportunity and at any stage that Opposition Members should wish to order it again through the Business Committee and the Ceann Comhairle.