26 Nov 2013, 17:17
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine this afternoon heard a worrying update by Minister Simon Coveney TD on the December Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting, which traditionally agrees the annual fishing opportunities for the Community's fishing fleets.
26 November 2013
Minister Coveney outlined significant decreases in quotas for the Irish fleet in the current European Commission proposals, which include a 24 percent drop in volume for the Irish whitefish sector and a cut of 23 percent in the prawn fisheries.
Chairman of the Committee Andrew Doyle TD says: “Our Committee has an important oversight role on the Government’s interaction with the European Union on policy related to agriculture and fisheries. This afternoon we heard a relatively downbeat presentation from Minister Coveney on the challenges to be surmounted in the upcoming negotiations. If the Commission proposals were to be implemented in their current form, the proposed quota reductions are in the order of €70 million, which could impact on between 400 and 500 jobs in coastal areas around the country.
\"The Minister advised the Committee of his intention to ensure the best possible outcome for Ireland's fishing fleet in the negotiations. We take on board the argument that securing the sustainability of stocks must be paramount. However, the Minister argued strongly that the proposed cuts could only be made where the scientific evidence clearly supports such moves. The Committee acknowledges the input of the Marine Institute in the negotiations to ensure that any decisions made are justifiable to the Ireland's coastal communities. We also heard that, while the negotiations will be most challenging of recent years for Ireland, the outcome the Council meeting might prove to be considerably more favourable to the Irish fleet than the Commission proposals as they currently stand.\"
Separately, the Committee considered a motion on the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2012. This covers the proposed funding to the horse and greyhound industries next year, which amounts to €54 million.
Deputy Doyle continues: “As industries that are collectively worth 24,300 jobs to the Irish economy, the Committee believes that the proposed funding is appropriate and proportionate, given their longstanding impact on rural Ireland. The Committee was told that the Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013, when enacted, will bring the online betting industry into the tax net. It will mean that all bets originating in Ireland through remote and online betting platforms will have a return to the Exchequer.”
View Committee Membership.
ENDS
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