Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Under the free movement of goods and so on, I do not think we could legally enforce a situation where we would compel a trawler to land because they had caught so much here. The case we have been making is it is in their economic interest that, rather than steaming all the way back to the north of Spain with their catch, for instance, reprovisioning there and steaming back to catch whatever species they are chasing in Irish waters, they drop into Castletownbere, reprovision there, have the stock processed there and then have it carried to market via Rosslare or Cork Harbour on a roll-on roll-off ferry. We are increasingly making that pitch for business based on the investment we are putting into piers in these critical areas. For example, blue whiting is one of those stocks and we have an opportunity to make the business case to Norwegian vessels to come into Killybegs, rather than them going all the way back to a port in Norway. We also do that elsewhere.