Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. There has been an ongoing process in relation to this for a significant period of time. It goes back initially to an audit, which was carried out by the European Commission in 2018, followed then by an administrative inquiry in 2019, which the Commission carried out. We got the results of that administrative inquiry just before Christmas. In that, the Commission indicated that it did not have confidence that the systems we had in place were robust enough in terms of ensuring compliance with the Common Fisheries Policy regulations. It also indicated its intention to revoke the control plan, and that is the position it was in. The Commission's final decision would have been communicated to us at the same time as the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority, SFPA. Obviously, that was a Commission decision and not one which the SFPA would have decided on. It was one which followed on from administrative inquiry the Commission carried out. The main impact of it is that it means that we cannot do the in-factory weighing, which the derogation control plan provided for. That has undoubtedly has had a significant impact on fishers and on processors in relation to the weighing of fish. It has had an impact on some piers more than others, depending on where the factories are and it means that weighing has to happen before transport. It does not revoke the sampling plan, which applies to the whitefish sector, but it requires the sampling plan. If they are being transported away from the pierside for weighing, it is required to be used. I do not diminish for a second the challenge this has led to for the sector. I know the SFPA has been consulting with all fishers, companies, stakeholders and food business operators in relation to its impact. I know it outlined to the committee earlier this week the process involved in reinstating a control plan.