Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is an opportunity to create artisan products from a pelagic fishery, such as lime mackerel, which the craft he is concerned about may find relevant.

The Marine Survey Office may have issues in regard to safety but that is ultimately the responsibility of boat owners. One cannot have a situation where somebody comes to me and asks for more capacity because the Marine Survey Office, MSO, says he or she needs to make changes. On that basis other people would be giving up capacity to facilitate changes for safety reasons. That is an issue between a boat owner and the MSO.

I do not want to come across as totally inflexible because that does not reflect my views on the issue. I am not closed but having spoken to many in the industry since the campaign for this change started, I have had mixed feedback as some people are very much opposed to it but others think we should look at it. I do not think it is too much to ask the boat owners concerned to work on getting more consensus among the existing producer organisations, POs and representative bodies in fishing. If we can get a consensus we will look to progress it.