Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 July 2021
453. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Government has requested increased fishing quotas and rights for Irish fishermen in Irish waters from the European Commission. [38342/21]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that I, as Minister, and this Government continue to keep the focus on the disproportionate quota reductions for Ireland and to use any opportunity available to seek constructive solutions that would help to alleviate this unacceptable position.
I am pursuing every opportunity at EU level to increase the available quotas for our fishing fleet. I have raised the matter of inequitable burden sharing at EU level – most recently at last month's Agriculture and Fisheries Council – and in bilateral exchanges with the Commissioner and other EU Member States, whenever suitable opportunities arise, and I will continue to do so.
The Interim Report of the Seafood Sector Taskforce, published earlier last month and supported by all members of the Taskforce, recommends a range of actions to address the quota reductions in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).
The actions include measures relating to Ireland working with other EU Member States on possible opportunities for increased quota shares for the EU in the upcoming Coastal States consultations and pursuing the rebalancing of quota in the context of the upcoming review of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
The Interim Report indicates that the recommended actions, after further consideration by the Taskforce, will be set down in detail in the main Report. The report will set out the specific challenges arising and how the actions may be progressed.
The next CFP review as set down in EU Regulation 1380/2013 is due to be completed by the 31st December 2022 when the European Commission will report to the European Parliament and the Council on the functioning of the CFP. At the informal meeting of Fisheries Ministers under the Portuguese Presidency, there was a first exchange of views on the future direction of the CFP and its current operation. I made clear that the CFP review must take stock of the disproportionate impacts imposed on the Irish fishing industry by Brexit and the TCA. I made clear that I will be seeking to address the imbalance in the quota transfers under the TCA. I repeated this position at the formal debate at the EU Fisheries Council in June.
The Commission published a proposal on 6th July proposing an amendment to extend the derogation for access to EU Member States 12 miles zones up until the end of December 2032. It also removed the provisions relating to access for the UK, which are now covered in the TCA. I consider that this important element of the CFP should be dealt with by the Commission as part of the full CFP review and form part of the formal review and the Commission report to Council and Parliament on the functioning of the CFP. I will be making our concern and our position clear as the proposal is progressed through Council and Parliament over the autumn.
It is expected that all stakeholders will have an opportunity to engage actively in the Commission's review over the coming period, including the fishing industry, eNGOs and Member States. I will consider how Ireland will prepare for and participate actively and effectively in the review of the CFP, including the interaction with stakeholders, to prepare Ireland's case and identify priorities.
