Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have made a massive national effort over the last number of years and intensively so in recent times, to emphasise to the Commission and to Mr. Barnier the absolute importance of fisheries, quota share and access to waters. We have also been working very hard in a joint effort with seven EU maritime states to put forward a strong and solid case for protecting the EU fisheries position in the negotiations. That message has been put across and is very well understood. Mr. Barnier is determined to ensure that the leverage of fisheries is maintained with other aspects of the free trade agreement. Hopefully we will see an agreement because as all fishermen know, a no-deal Brexit will be very damaging to the sector. It would have a significant impact on access to UK waters, on quota share and on our capacity to fish. We need a trade agreement and a good one from a fishing point of view. Our approach on this has been united, in terms of working with other EU member states and the Commission.