Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are a couple of principles on which, from an Irish perspective within the EU, I have tried to be vocal. One is that whatever deal is done in respect of fish, the priority has to be access to fishing opportunities, not big compensation packages to compensate for the absence of fishing opportunities. The money in that regard will be gone in a few years' time and then we would be dealing with the consequences. People will remember what happened to the sugar beet industry in Ireland and all of the political rows relating to compensation packages. We have got nothing now in terms of that industry. We still grow sugar beet but it is for different reasons. What we want here is an outcome. We have got to be realistic as well. The UK has serious concerns in respect of fishing. Therefore, a deal is difficult and requires compromise on both sides. First and foremost, this is about trying to protect our fishing industry by protecting stocks and ensuring that we will have opportunities in the future for fishing communities.

The second principle that is important for me is, whatever compromises are necessary to get a deal, if we get a deal, that there will be fair burden sharing across the EU of the loss of opportunities, if there are some losses of opportunities, for the EU fleet as a whole and that one, two or three countries are not being asked to have to carry that burden on their own, for example, Ireland, because we happen to be located next door. I spent quite a lot of time discussing this issue with Mr. Michel Barnier, particularly in the context of those two key principles.

There are linked issues in terms of the displacement of fishing fleets into Irish waters as a result of lost opportunities in British waters. This is also a big problem that needs to be factored into how we manage EU fish stocks in the future in Irish waters in the context of the Common Fisheries Policy, etc. This is difficult, complex stuff. I agree that solidarity needs to mean something in the context of how the EU collectively addresses the consequences of whatever deal might or might not be agreed.

It is a good observation that we do not know what the British Government wants but that is a deliberate strategy by the UK.