Mr. Michael Keatinge:

I am expecting something in the region of €39 million in total for fisheries and training from the European maritime fisheries fund over the lifetime of the CFP.

I wish to address the issue of additional raw material as it is a fundamental point. Deputies are absolutely correct that were we to take the principle of sustainability, we would not be able to take more fish from the sea. Since 2013 Ireland has been able to achieve an 80% quota of boarfish stock. That alone has brought in excess of 50,000 tonnes of new raw material to Ireland. Off the coast of Ireland in 2014, 1.5 million tonnes of fish were taken. In the Irish economic zone over 500,000 tonnes of fish were taken, somewhat less than 250,000 tonnes by us. The State has made a huge investment in improving fishing ports such as Killybegs and Castletownbere, but we need to get foreign boats to land. We can add value by providing for seafood processing and supplying vessels with a range of services. Ireland must reposition itself in this regard. The notion that we can go to Brussels, renegotiate the CFP and massively increase our quotas is one for consideration on another day but certainly not in my lifetime. We must secure greater use of the resources being taken off the Irish coast by capitalising on our new infrastructure.