Mr. Micheál O'Mahony:

I thank the Chairman. I will try to answer the direct questions that have been put to us and refer to my colleagues to pick up the pieces of what I do not answer.

Deputy Pringle asked about the CFP and its provisions for protecting traditional inshore fisheries. This is a fairly complex area. To step back from the big picture, one of the guiding principles of the current CFP is that EU waters can be accessed by all EU fishers. There are some exceptions. Another guiding principle is that outtakes are defined per member state, regardless of from where they take them. The CFP defines the outtake the member state can take from EU waters and, in general terms, allows access by all EU vessels to most EU waters. The exception to which the Deputy referred is the protection of what would generally be regarded as the exclusive economic zone of the member state. There are two sections measuring from the baseline, which is the high tide line. There are divisions of six and 12 nautical miles. In general terms, the CFP provides for a member state to protect everything up to its 12 nautical mile limit from, in our case, non-Irish fishers. There is protection within the CFP for access. Notwithstanding that access protection, the maximum TAC for member states remains. It is just a matter of where it is caught.

We are getting into the complex area of Ireland's relationship with the UK, but I am happy to discuss them. There are particular access rights for UK fishing vessels entering the six to 12 and the zero to six mile zones. In general terms, they protect traditional fishery rights for people on the island of Ireland which they enjoyed prior to the inception of the State.