Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and his officials to the meeting. I apologise for being late and missing his opening statement.

I have a number of questions. This is probably one of the most challenging and difficult times for the fishing industry. Protecting our own quotas and Brexit are two of the major challenges that we face.

Speaking specifically about Brexit for a moment, I have been contacted by a number of people within the fishing industry, both people out fishing and those involved in the significant spin-off from the fishing industry on the island of Ireland, and they are very concerned about these negotiations. Will the Minister inform the committee of the conversation that he has had with Mr. Michel Barnier so far? What did the Minister stress as his bottom line in his conversation with him? I am aware that the Minister had a Zoom call or online meeting with him and I believe it was last Friday week or whenever. What is Ireland's position of acceptance in the Brexit negotiations? I know that this is a European issue but I presume the Minister set out Ireland's bottom line on the Brexit negotiations on fishing.