Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 March 2024
516. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will designate Magheroarty Pier in County Donegal as a landing point for UK registered vessels, similar to other piers and harbours across Donegal. [10205/24]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, there are significant practical and cost implications for the State in the designation of EU ports for Third Country landings as, under EU Regulations, such designations represent an entry point to the European Union following which food is free to circulate within the full EU common market. On this basis for any ports designated, Ireland is obliged to ensure that it has in place a meaningful control presence.
Last year, I designated three new ports in County Donegal for landings from UK-registered Northern Ireland vessels (Bunagee, Glengad and Malin Head) as well as extending the opening hours in Greencastle. In addition, Dunmore East was also designated for landings from UK-registered Northern Ireland vessels. These four newly designated ports were additional to the seven ports already designated: Ros A Mhíl, Greencastle, Rathmullen, Burtonport, Howth, Killybegs and Castletownbere.
I should inform the Deputy that the current ports designated and the opening days and times for those ports were decided to allow for Northern Ireland registered vessels to continue to land into Irish ports, while ensuring that the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority has the capacity to continue to perform its vital control functions effectively.
There are no current plans to include Magheroarty Harbour as a designated port for UK vessels, given the significant extension in the number of designated ports in recent years and the levels of commitments and resources required and available.
I would also like to assure the Deputy that the designation of ports for landings does not preclude vessels from coming into ports for force majeure reasons such as safe harbour.
