Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy knows, last year I designated three new ports in County Donegal - Bunagee, Glengad and Malin Head - as well as Dunmore East in County Waterford for landings from UK-registered Northern Ireland vessels. I also extended the opening hours in Greencastle. That brings the total number of ports designated for UK-registered Northern Ireland vessels to 11, seven of which are located in County Donegal.

Irish-registered vessels are obviously permitted to land at Magheraroarty pier. However, there are no current plans to include Magheraroarty harbour as a designated port for UK-registered Northern Ireland vessels given the significant extension in the number of designated ports in recent years and the levels of commitments and resources required and available. For a vessel to operate as a UK-registered vessel, the operators of the boat have to be based and addressed in Northern Ireland. That is one of the requirements for having a UK-registered vessel. That is why we saw prior to Brexit, and indeed still, some UK-registered vessels in different parts of Donegal. After that, UK-registered vessels were much more difficult to land in without designation. I moved to facilitate that by designating seven ports across Donegal. I did that based on where UK boats were landing into those harbours prior to Brexit and where there was an aspect of that.

For example, off north Inishowen, we have some Republic of Ireland-registered vessels that, post Brexit, cannot fish in the six to twelve-mile zone now. That is an impact of Brexit. Some of the boats that would be fishing off Inishowen in particular, for example, would be fishing in that six to twelve-mile zone and therefore need that designation. Those designations were based on where UK-registered vessels were landing into and where there was a track record of that.

Obviously, it is something I have monitored and looked at very closely. I believe the response I have put in place accommodates those vessels that are there. It is important that where there are new vessels, they are Republic of Ireland, ROI-registered. However, it is important we facilitate, where there is a track record of it, those that were UK-registered before, and I have moved to do that.

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