Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy touched on Brexit first.

This has been a fundamental concern of our fishing sector since it was first mooted and voted on in Britain and Northern Ireland more than four years ago. It has also been one of our key concerns nationally with regard to upcoming negotiations and those which have been ongoing since last year. The Deputy is right; there is a lot of concern on a number of fronts. One concern relates to access to British waters. As of now, this access has been strongly contested in all feedback and public commentary from the UK Government. The Deputy will have seen in public commentary that the UK is seeking to take back up to 80% of the EU’s permitted catch in those waters, which is obviously very concerning. As to the need for stability for fishermen in the years ahead, the UK Government wants annual renegotiations and discussion on access, which would obviously lead to very significant instability for our fishing sector and would leave it in a very vulnerable position strategically.

Our national position has at all times recognised the importance of tying fisheries negotiations to other aspects of the EU free trade agreement. This is something on which all parties have been co-operating and on which they have been very clear. Since I was appointed Minister for Agriculture and the Marine, I have emphasised the absolute importance of ensuring that free trade negotiations continue to be tied to the issue of fisheries in all engagements I have had with fellow member states, the EU Commission and Mr. Barnier. I emphasised this as recently as our meeting of last Friday. It is even more important that this tie is maintained in the days ahead.

I do not want to go into the sensitive discussions that are ongoing other than to be absolutely clear on what the Irish position has been. I have had many bilateral engagements with other EU fisheries ministers. I have had opportunities in this regard at meetings of the European Council and in direct meetings with Commissioner Sinkevicius and Mr. Barnier. We will continue to do everything we can, as we have been doing up until now, to emphasise the importance of both protecting our quotas and protecting access and to ensure that there will be stability into the future. What is at play now will be really important in the future. We want to maintain our fish quotas. That is our priority. This will allow our fishermen to do what they do. The volume and quantity of fish involved is important with regard to the processing sector and the jobs associated with it and with regard to its export value.

On the Common Fisheries Policy, there is to be a review in 2021 and 2022. It has been about ten years since the previous review. The focus over recent times has been on solidarity at European level. That needs to be the case in the important days ahead as well. We must all fight hard. There has been really strong solidarity among the group of eight coastal member states to ensure that our position is as strong as it possibly can be in these negotiations. That has been important. We will have an opportunity to engage and consult on our input into the next Common Fisheries Policy. That will be important and timely. That review is set for 2021 and 2022.

On the issue of bluefin tuna, the division of this stock between EU member states was decided many years ago, based on historical fishing activity. The existing division of these very valuable stocks is set, pending the review of the Common Fisheries Policy post Brexit.

The question of the allocation of those stocks will be a matter for the 2021-22 review. I know it is something which fishermen have been raising. The review will be an opportunity to engage on that issue.

With regard to our inshore fishing sector, I know of its tremendous value and how important it is for employment, especially in our own county. I know the pressure it has been under. It is something of which I am very much aware. There was a temporary fleet tie-up scheme earlier in the year but I will be assessing how we can assist in this area because I very much value the sector, which is really important to our fisheries sector overall.