As I have stated before, fisheries is, and will remain, a high priority for Ireland in the Brexit negotiations. I am determined to ensure that fisheries remain high on the Brexit agenda in the EU and that the interests of Ireland's fishing communities are fully protected.
I fully agree with the Deputy on the importance of ensuring that fisheries does not become isolated from the wider negotiations and I am glad to say that Michel Barnier and the relevant Member States are as equally determined as Ireland in that regard.
Existing access arrangements and percentage shares of fish stocks have been agreed by all EU Member States, including the UK, over many years and were most recently affirmed in 2014 when the current Common Fisheries Policy came into force. Let me be absolutely clear; I see no basis whatsoever for the kind of reordering of the current arrangements apparently sought by some in the UK.
If and when the UK finally leaves the EU they should equally retain their current shares and entitlements. We are not asking that they lose their rights of access to EU waters or face any reductions in their current shares and see no reason why we should lose ours.
As the Deputy will be aware, there has been an enormous amount of work on this issue in terms of analysing potential impacts for our fishing industries under the various possible scenarios since well before the UK referendum. This work has been carried out by my Department, the Marine Institute and BIM in close cooperation with the fishing industry.
At EU level there have been, and will continue to be, regular contacts with the Barnier Task Force, Fisheries Commissioner Vella and like-minded Member States at all levels. In all of these contacts, I have stressed the importance of a unified EU front and our determination to maintain all of our current rights. This is a view shared by all of those Member States that have rights in the UK zone.
In conclusion, I would like to assure the Deputy that I aim to ensure that fisheries are inextricably linked to overall trade discussions during the negotiations. I will also be unequivocal in opposing any dilution of our existing EU quota shares, including protecting the benefit to Ireland of the Hague Preferences, and any limitations on our existing rights of access.
