Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the Senator's first question, Northern Irish vessels landing into EU ports will not be subject to sanitary or phytosanitary requirements or health certification after 1 January 2021, according to the arrangements in place.

On the Senator's second point, concerning the current overall total allowable catches within the EU waters including both European and UK waters, the overall approach is to set at maximum sustainable yield, in order that fish stocks can be healthy and can be maintained into the future, and importantly, in order that the fishing sector can continue into future years. Therefore, the respective shares that member states and the UK believe they should have of those catches is currently very much in the cross hairs in the negotiations. Obviously our position is that they should remain as they are, in terms of access and share of the catches, if at all possible. We will fight very hard to achieve that. Going forward, regardless of the outcome of Brexit, on 1 January 2021, the concept of maximum sustainable yield in respect of waters in general and the amount of fish that can be caught by anyone, whether from EU member states or otherwise, is an important international principle that must be followed. Moreover, it will need to be followed if we are to ensure that those fisheries continue to be healthy. From a national point of view, it is really important that we maintain the quota share that we have and the access we have to those waters.